Review of What Did They Say?
Posted: 10 Jan 2025, 19:43
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "What Did They Say?" by Todd Sherman.]
What Did They Say?: Observations from Eight-Grade Students by Todd Sherman is a fun and easy book to read. I give it a full 5 out of 5 stars. It was wonderfully edited, and I found very few typos. I cannot think of anything I would change about the book at all. I initially picked this book up for two reasons. The first reason is I have kids of my own, four of which are fourteen or older, so I know how strange, and comical, they can act sometimes. The second reason is my mom is an eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher and is always telling stories about her students and the amusing, and sometimes simply weird, things they say. Eighth-grade kids can be hilarious!
As soon as I started reading this book, I knew I had made the right choice, as it had me giggling from the first chapter. I found myself turning from one page to another quickly as I got caught up in the funny, sometimes sarcastic, and often off-the-wall things the kids said. I had to make myself slow down and even go back and re-read some parts so that I did not miss anything.
What Did They Say? is a compilation of quotes from children that spans many classes and kids over quite a few years. The author was obviously a caring teacher and person. He was incredibly careful not to insult any child with the intention of hurting their feelings and said all throughout the book about how great the children were in his classroom. The fact that the now grown children are still in contact with him speaks a lot about his personality.
This book could be read by anyone who wants some comic relief in an easy-to-read book. I do think parents and teachers would get the most enjoyment out of it since they really have experienced being around kids the most. However, even high-school students would likely enjoy the reflection that reading a book like this will bring. By the time a child is in high school, they have grown and changed so much that reading this while thinking back to their own younger teen years should have them laughing at their own silliness.
Overall, I highly recommend this book!
******
What Did They Say?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
What Did They Say?: Observations from Eight-Grade Students by Todd Sherman is a fun and easy book to read. I give it a full 5 out of 5 stars. It was wonderfully edited, and I found very few typos. I cannot think of anything I would change about the book at all. I initially picked this book up for two reasons. The first reason is I have kids of my own, four of which are fourteen or older, so I know how strange, and comical, they can act sometimes. The second reason is my mom is an eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher and is always telling stories about her students and the amusing, and sometimes simply weird, things they say. Eighth-grade kids can be hilarious!
As soon as I started reading this book, I knew I had made the right choice, as it had me giggling from the first chapter. I found myself turning from one page to another quickly as I got caught up in the funny, sometimes sarcastic, and often off-the-wall things the kids said. I had to make myself slow down and even go back and re-read some parts so that I did not miss anything.
What Did They Say? is a compilation of quotes from children that spans many classes and kids over quite a few years. The author was obviously a caring teacher and person. He was incredibly careful not to insult any child with the intention of hurting their feelings and said all throughout the book about how great the children were in his classroom. The fact that the now grown children are still in contact with him speaks a lot about his personality.
This book could be read by anyone who wants some comic relief in an easy-to-read book. I do think parents and teachers would get the most enjoyment out of it since they really have experienced being around kids the most. However, even high-school students would likely enjoy the reflection that reading a book like this will bring. By the time a child is in high school, they have grown and changed so much that reading this while thinking back to their own younger teen years should have them laughing at their own silliness.
Overall, I highly recommend this book!
******
What Did They Say?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Oh my, this book took me back to my year of the 9th grade in high school. This was my year of introduction to the honors English class with Mr. Larson. The book captured the personality of the teacher just like my fond memory of Mr. Larson. How wonderful in this fast-moving environment to find a human so willing to appreciate the wonder and growth of the fresh and inquisitive minds of children. The review is both intriguing and exciting. I have just completed reading the sample and took a sigh of yes, I will read this book. Thank you for the delightful review.