Ellray Jakes Walks the Plank (EllRay Jakes Series #3)

by Sally Warner, Jamie Harper (Illustrator)

Overview

Things are going just swimmingly for EllRay. He's finally getting along with most of the kids at school. He's even getting along with his family. But then everything comes screeching to a halt when his younger sister accidently overfeeds the classroom goldfish EllRay was supposed to be taking care of over Spring vacation. What is EllRay going to tell his teacher and the kids in his third-grade class? Fortunately, most of them are sympathetic. But not bossy Cynthia. She sees this as an opportunity to blame EllRay for her own mess-ups. Must EllRay now walk the plank for stuff that he didn't do?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142424094
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/07/2013
Series:	EllRay Jakes Series , #3
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	84,351
Product dimensions:	5.34(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.34(d)
Lexile:	820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sally Warner (www.sallywarner.com) has published more than twenty novels for young readers, including the Emma and EllRay Jakes series. She lives in Altadena, California with her husband and their not-so-miniature dachshund, Rocky. 

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank by Sally Warner:

"The EllRay Jakes stories are just right for his real-life peers; short enough to be read by kids getting comfortable with chapter books and also enjoyable and authentic." —Kirkus

Editorial Reviews

Praise for EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank by Sally Warner:

"The EllRay Jakes stories are just right for his real-life peers; short enough to be read by kids getting comfortable with chapter books and also enjoyable and authentic." —Kirkus 

From the Publisher

The third installment in this series about third-grader with a penchant for "messing up" (EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken, 2011, etc.) revisits an unfortunately evergreen theme from the first book: bullying. This time, EllRay's misguided, although goodhearted, decision to allow his 4-year-old sister, Alfie, to help take care of the class fish that he's housing over spring break results in Zip's death, and troubles cascade from there. Distracted, EllRay forgets to bring in Treasure Island, the class read-aloud he's borrowed, and his classmates begin to get angry. To make matters worse, mean girl Cynthia Harbison continually tries to pin her transgressions (cheating at a playground game; a classroom shoving match) on EllRay, since "You're already the kid in our class who messes up." With some subtle support from Ms. Sanchez and the principal, EllRay manages to deliver the message to Cynthia that he won't be a patsy. As in previous series entries, EllRay is likable and his problems believable; again, the ending is a bit pat but satisfying nonetheless. Drama about Alfie's friendship woes in preschool parallels the main story but is less successful; Alfie's voice is unrealistically mature for a 4-year-old. The EllRay Jakes stories are just right for his real-life peers; short enough to be read by kids getting comfortable with chapter booksand also enjoyable and authentic. (Fiction. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews