Testing Miss Malarkey - Hardcover

Finchler, Judy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802787371 ISBN 13: 9780802787378

Publisher: Walker Childrens, 2000

Synopsis

The new school year brings standardized testing to every school and Miss Malarkey's is no exception. Teachers, students, and even parents are preparing for THE TEST-The Instructional Performance Through Understanding (IPTU) test-and the school is in an uproar. Even though the grown-ups tell the children not to worry, they're acting kind of strange. The gym teacher is teaching stress-reducing yoga instead of sports in gym class. Parents are giving pop quizzes on bedtime stories at night. The cafeteria is serving "brain food" for lunch. The kids are beginning to think that maybe the test is more important than they're being led to believe. Kids and adults alike will laugh aloud as Finchler and O'Malley poke fun at the commotion surrounding standardized testing, a staple of every school's year.

About this title

About the Author

Judy Finchler is an elementary school teacher and librarian from Parsippany, New Jersey.

KEVIN O'MALLEY is the co-author and illustrator of the popular Miss Malarkey series as well as the award-winning Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and the national bestseller Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
www.booksbyomalley.com

Reviews

Grade 2-5-This picture book about the current standardized-testing culture will either touch a funny bone or a nerve. A school community is obsessed with students' preparation and performance on the Instructional Performance Through Understanding test (IPTU). The title gives away the actual joke: it is the teachers whose futures are on the line. As Miss Malarkey prepares her class, she becomes increasingly frazzled as test time approaches. Although she tries to reassure students that "THE TEST" is not important, the atmosphere tells a different story. Children play Multiplication Mambo at recess, eat brain food in the cafeteria, and learn to meditate in gym. While they seem immune to the adult panic, the tension spreads to their parents who abandon bedtime stories for textbook drills and attend a PTA meeting with Dr. Scoreswell, "the Svengali of tests." It is disappointing that the final illustration shows that all the hysteria has had positive results, as the faculty celebrates the school's status as #1 IPTU County Champions. O'Malley's colorful cartoons extend the slapstick, over-the-top humor. Readers will get the joke if they have experienced our society's testing mania. The appreciation by school professionals may depend on their perception of whether the laughs are at the expense of the testing process, society, or the teachers themselves.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 6-9. Miss Malarkey is back, this time dealing with standardized tests, but the tone of this story is surprisingly sarcastic. The Principal is literally flipping his wig over which pencils to order, students in art class learn the correct way to fill in circles, and Mr. Fitanuff is teaching yoga to help de-stress kids before the test. Even worse, children are denied recess, and parents are concerned about property values. The last illustration shows teachers celebrating under a banner proclaiming "County Champions," but it's clear the children are unaware of the honor. Listeners will enjoy the silly humor and joyful, creative illustrations, with thought balloons providing snappy asides, but the book may be most appealing to adults who have already done their share of test preparation. Marta Segal
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802787371
• ISBN 13: 9780802787378
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: O'Malley Kevin
• Number of pages: 32