How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five
By Carla Fitzgerald
Reviewed by Mia Macrossan
Carla wrote the picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds and How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five, reviewed in StoryLinks, another funny and heartwarming story also aimed at middle grade readers.
In How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five the focus is firmly on Sam, a kind and thoughtful eleven-year-old, who is obsessed with trying out some of the crazier world records to be found in his favourite book, the Big Book of Records. When his teacher sets his class the term project of describing your proudest moment in 500 words (and you have to stand in front of the class and read it out) he is horrified. Everyone else has something they’re good at, sport, art, singing, whatever. Even his little sister Ava has managed to cover the fridge at home with certificates of achievements, but not him.
In desperation he decides to set a world record – the problem is which one? What about the most sticky notes stuck on a face in one minute? Most socks put on one foot in 30 seconds? He tries most leapfrogs by a team of two in 30 seconds. Gradually Sam’s obsession with getting a world record creates tensions within his family and with his best mate Vihaam. There are also other factors at play which include his mum’s money worries and his old neighbour George’s fragility.
Sam is a delightful character, his agonising is genuine, his solutions are not always practical, but he does manage to survive grade five and emerge triumphant, if not in quite the way he expected. Themes of success, self-confidence, friendship, family and what it means to be a good person underpin this engaging story, always leavened by a big dose of humour.
The excellent Teacher’s Notes provide much useful material for teachers considering this title for class study. It would also be a suitable title for Reader’s Cup competitions.
Will there be another ‘how to surve grade five’, I hope so.
Carla wrote the picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds and How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five, reviewed in StoryLinks, another funny and heartwarming story also aimed at middle grade readers.
