Thank You, Mr. Falker

by Patricia Polacco

Hardcover, 1998

Status

Check shelf

Call number

E Po

Publication

Philomel (1998), Edition: 0, Hardcover, 40 pages

Description

At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.

Local notes

1401-100

Media reviews

CCBC
CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 1998) Before she started school, Trisha looked forward to learning how to read more than anything else. But in first grade, when all her classmates are learning to read, she finds that she can't. Each year her problem gets worse and worse and,
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although she struggles to keep it a secret, she begins to think of herself as stupid and ugly. It isn't until Trisha is in fifth grade that she has a teacher who discovers her secret and helps her learn to read. An autobiographical story shows the frustration and determination of child who's different, and offers a tender portrait of the real-life teacher who made a difference in her life. CCBC categories: Picture Books for Older Children. 1998, Philomel, 40 pages, $16.99. Ages 6-10.
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1 more
Booklist
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, May 1, 1998 (Vol. 94, No. 17)) Like many of Polacco's picture-book stories, this one is autobiographical. Who would believe that this gifted storyteller had started off with a serious learning disability? From kindergarten on, Trisha gets attention because she can draw;
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but she hides the fact that she can't read--all she sees on the page are "wiggling shapes" --until her fifth-grade teacher discovers Trisha's problem, gets her special help, and sets her free. "That little girl was me," Polacco says in a final note. As always she tells the story with intense emotion: no understatement here; reading is "torture." The big line-and-watercolor illustrations are bright with color and theatrical gesture, expressing the child's happiness with her grandparents in a family of readers, her fear and loneliness in the classroom ("she hated hated hated school"), her anguish when the kids jeer at her in the schoolyard, and her joy when finally she reads the words on the page ("she was happy, so very happy"). Trisha isn't idealized: we see her messy and desperate, poring over her books. This will encourage the child who feels like a failure and the teacher who cares. Category: For the Young. 1998, Putnam/Philomel, $15.99. Ages 5-9.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member ksmyth
This is a great book, probably autobiographical, about a little girl with a reading disability. It focuses on the efforts of her teacher, Mr. Falker, to help her cope with it. It's an interesting, bittersweet salute to teachers.
LibraryThing member cegordon
The book is about a girl named Trish, who struggles in reading. She moves to a new school and continues to struggle in reading. She gets bullied and made fun of by everyone until she gets a new teacher named Mr. Falker. He watches and observes her. Eventually, he helps her learn words and finally
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reading. She gets excited and loves reading.
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LibraryThing member aross2055
This is a very touching book. It teaches children that they can over come struggles if they work hard at it. The author went from not being able to read in 5th grade to a great author. What an inspiration!!
LibraryThing member jslhensley
This book tell the story of the author as a young girl who struggled to read. With the help of a caring teacher she overcomes her problem with reading and grows to become and author.
LibraryThing member Charlee526
AMAZING book! Seriaouly one of my new favorites. Its about a little girl who has a reading problem that is not discovered unitl she has Mr. Falkner. WONDERFUL BOOK!!!
LibraryThing member renee.sutter
The theme of Thank you, Mr. Falker is how reading is important but some people can’t learn to read as fast as other. In this story Trisha has dyslexia and feels stupid and gets teased by other students, until she gets a new teacher who helps her learn to read. This story was particularly
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interesting because it written from the authors real life experiences. I thought the theme was worthwhile because it teaches kids the just because you don’t learn the way others do doesn’t mean you are dumb.
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LibraryThing member meallen1
This book is a realistic fiction book and it is about a girl named Tricia who wants desperately to read but when she starts school she finds that the words "wiggle" on the page. Teased by her classmates, she retreats into dreams and drawings. It's not until the family moves to California and Tricia
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has managed to reach the fifth grade that a new teacher finally recognizes her pain and distress. What's more, he does something about it. The art in the book has fun pictures. The curricular connection is starting school and realistic fiction.
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LibraryThing member jodyebutler
A beautiful story of a young girl who has trouble learning to read and the teacher who cares enough to make a difference. A book that students will relate to whether they have a learning disability or have a classmate with one.
LibraryThing member jlowens4
I really enjoyed reading "Thank You, Mr. Falker". This book is a wonderful book for a classroom. The little girl in the book can not read very well at all. The children in her class tease her year after year. This made the little girl feel dumb and hate school. Until one year there was a new
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teacher who helped her to read, after this she loved school and loved reading. It turns out the book is actually about the author of a book. A child who grew up not being able to read very well turned into a book author. I think that this story has several lessons to teach. First it teaches a child not to give up. No matter how hard something is keep trying and trying until you get it. Second it teaches children not to make fun of other students, and how it makes the child feel when they are getting made fun of. Lastly it teaches not only students for other teachers to be there for another person and to help them when they are in need. I think that this is a wonderful book and a great addition to any classroom!
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LibraryThing member lwmasters
An extremely heart-warming story. A young girl struggles with reading and math her entire life until she reaches the 5th grade. There she finds a sincere teacher who helps her overcome the difficulties she faces. It is an actual depiction of the authors life. Would be a great read to all students
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and would be especially meaningful to those who have learning disabilities of their own. Also a great story that lets readers know how it feels to be bullied. Just a wonderful read!!!
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LibraryThing member librarymediaman
A moving story about a girl who struggles academically and a teacher who is committed to helping. Might be overrated due to its appeal to librarians and teachers. Yet some readers who can identify with the girl may find special meaning, and most seem to enjoy as a read-aloud.
LibraryThing member skpuckett
This book illustrates the difficulty many children face when learning to read. Learning to read is a difficult process. For those left behind the other students' progress, it is an even more difficult process. It takes a very caring teacher to work one-on-one with the child to help.
LibraryThing member kefoley
This book is about a girl named Tricia who has struggled with reading since the beginning of her education. She has dyslexia and year after year Tricia cannot read. She wants to read but she struggles with it and one day she gets a new teacher her admires her and believes in her. With his help and
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aid after school she finally discovers the beauty of reading.
This book has a great lesson to it and would be a great book to read to a class.
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LibraryThing member Lakapp
‘Thank you, Mr. Falker” written by Patricia Polacco is a wonderful children’s story. In the story, a young girl, Trisha, wanted more than anything to learn how to read. Trisha’s grandparents had instilled a love of knowledge in her and everyone in her family loved to read. Trisha was so
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excited to start school and couldn’t wait to learn to read; unfortunately learning to read didn’t come easy to Trisha. She was made fun of by her classmates because she couldn’t read or do math. Trisha’s family moved and the next year she had a great teacher Mr. Falker; Mr. Falker realized Trisha couldn’t read and he helped her every day after school. One day, after months of hard work, Trisha learned to read and was thrilled. This book would be great for elementary students of all ages.
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LibraryThing member Madalyn333
Thank you Mr. Falkner is a heart warming story about a struggling reader named Patricia. Patricia is very artistic but she goes all the way through elementary school without being able to read. Even though Patricia cannot read she loves to draw and she is very close to her grandparents. Once
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Patricia's grandparents die, she moves to California with her family. Patricia attends a new school where she is teased because she cannot read. At the end of the story, her kind teacher Mr. Falker discovers Patricia's problem and he teachers her how ot read.
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LibraryThing member ecrobinson
Patricia Polacco writes about her own struggles as a student and the difficultly she had reading. This book is written when Patricia was a little girl. She grew up all of her life thinking she was dumb. Her mother got a job in California so she, her mother and her sister packed up and moved from
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Michigan to California. Her teacher, Mr. Falker, was the first one to recognize that Patricia was having difficulty reading because she saw the letters and numbers differently than everybody else did. With the help of Mr. Falker and the school's reading specialist, Patricia was reading like a pro in no time.
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LibraryThing member Necampos
Reading Level 3.7

Thank you, Mr. Falker is one of the sweetest books ever! This little girl has trouble reading and gets made fun of for it. She thinks she is dumb and hides from her problem. Not until the loving Mr. Falker comes around and notices her trouble, does he work with her until she is
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finally able to read. What is so great about this book is that the little girl is Patricia Polacco. She experienced these frusterations in school and turned that part of her life into a book. WHen students have trouble with work, they should think about this book and how it just takes time and effort, but to not give up.
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LibraryThing member smendel18
This is a touching story about Patricia Polacco's childhood. She was bullied for a long time and had a very bad experience with reading and learning. One teacher, Mr. Falker, changed all of that for her. This is a story that is good for children of all ages, especially the ones that might be
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bullies themselves. The bullied and the bullies have no place in the classroom, so it is a good story for that. Also, it is a great story for educators to read. It gives awareness to teachers so that they know what they are doing can change a child's life. It's up to you if it's a good impact or bad impact.
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LibraryThing member smilz23
Trisha's is a family of readers and learners. She is so excited to learn to read in 1st grade. When she finally gets there the words look like scribbles and wiggles on the page. The other kids tease her because even in 3rd grade she can't read even simple sentences. When she is in Mr. Falker's
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class he sees how sad and disappointed she is in herself. Mr. Falker finally realizes that Trisha can't read and he takes the time to help her make sense of the words. This is the true story of the author Patricia Polacco and her experience.

Classroom connection: This is a fantastic book to read to students to teach them tolerance of those who have difficulty learning. It will also teach those who have difficulty learning that they are not alone and that with a little extra work they can learn too.
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LibraryThing member kerriwilliams
Heart warming story of how the author Patricia Polacco felt growing up with dyslexia. I thought it was very courageous to tell about your bad experiences growing up so that other may learn from them. I would share this story with children who are having issues with bullying.
LibraryThing member julieah
One of the hardest things a young student can face is the struggle of learning, and the distress one can receive. Thank you Mr. Falker is an emotional, heartfelt picture book that tells the story of a young girl eager to go to school and read, but once she is there she finds that the words wiggle
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and are jumbled on the page. Not only does she become behind but she is forced to face tormenting students that call her dumb. Finally the young girl has a new teacher, Mr. Falker, who changes her life forever. His encouragement and teaching strategies help young Trisha become the student she always hoped to be. This heartwarming story becomes even more meaningful when the reader learns that it is about the author and illustrator, Polacco herself. This book is a perfect edition to an elementary classroom (grade 2-5) and can even be enjoyed by adults. It is a perfect motivator for future teachers, and students who struggle in school.
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LibraryThing member hebeaton
Thank You Mr. Faulker is a true story about the author who suffered from dyslexia. She falls behind in school and thinks she is stupid until she meets Mr. Faulker, a great teacher who takes the time to help her learn. This is a good story to show children that everyone learns in different ways but
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it also reminds us as teachers to make time for all of our students.
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LibraryThing member mmjones3
Trisha is made fun of at school because she cannot read as well as the others. She hides from the other kids during recess to avoid be called names. She moves to another school and Mr. Falker is the only teacher to offer extra help to help he read. He believes in Trisha and works with her to help
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her read.
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LibraryThing member cmmadden
This is a great story for children of all ages. This story is about a young girl who struggles reading in school due to dyslexia. She is always made fun of and gets frusterated very easily by her peers. However, she has one teacher who helps her learn how to read. Mr. Falkner stays after and
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encourages her that she can read the "jumbled" text on the page. The little girl eventually learns how to read and is so excited. What is neat about this book is that the plot is a real story based on the author, Patricia Polacco.
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LibraryThing member mlsweatman
This is about a child named Trisha that does not like to read. Luckily, has a teacher named Mr. Falker that she thinks the world of becuase he is so nice to her. I enjoyed this book so much because I want to be a teacher that has such a good effect on students. This is a good book that I would read
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to a child that has problems reading and maybe this could help them open up to reading books more often.
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Language

Original publication date

1998 (copyright)

Physical description

40 p.; 11.36 inches

ISBN

0399231668 / 9780399231667

Barcode

34747000068938

Lexile

L
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