The Recess Queen

The Recess Queen

Written by: Alexis O'Neill
Illustrated by: Laura Huliska-Beith
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grades: K-5
Awards: None

Mean Jean was the Recess Queen of her school. She bullied her classmates by pushing on them and running them over, if anyone dared to cross her paths. Everyone was afraid of her as she yelled and growled at her classmates, and she always got her way. One day, a new teeny, tiny student, Katie Sue, was brand new in their class. Once recess started, Katie Sue played with all of the fun outside activities before Mean Jean could ever get to those activities. Mean Jean made her way to Katie Sue and held her by the collar to tell her that she was in charge of recess. Katie Sue asked Mean Jean of how and why did she get so bossy. Katie Sue did not see Mean Jean as a problem, so she asked Mean Jean if she wanted to play and jump rope together. Katie Sue convinced Mean Jean to jump rope with her, and Mean Jean for once felt included in something with her classmate. Mean Jean and Katie Sue became good friends and started to play with the rest of her class.

I love this book and would love to have this in my classroom. This book handles on what bullying looks like and that how one person can change someone's life by being nice to them. This book would be good for Kindergarteners to fifth graders. A way to use this book in class is by having students list the characteristics of Mean Jean and sequence of how  Mean Jean became friends with Katie Sue.