I Hate My Teacher: 5th Grade Friends and Foes PDF Download

Author: Laura Simpson
Publisher: Bowker Identifier Services
ISBN: 9780578554549
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Get Book

Book Description
Did you ever hate your teacher? In this warm-hearted, fast-paced and funny story, Dillon London loves school almost as much as he hates his strict homeroom teacher, Mrs. Jackson. He renames her "the General" because she makes the class march in the hallways, always stepping out on their left foot first. So, he does the opposite, and steps on the back of the shoe of any kid walking in front of him (causing a "flat tire"). Dillon loves playing tricks on his teacher as a way of rebelling against her authority. He even "shoots baskets" in class when her back is turned, and gets detention... again. He is up to page 47 of copying the dictionary! At Open House, Dillon is angry when he overhears the General telling his mother he is lazy. When his teacher convinces his mother that he should enter a project in the Science Fair, he declares war, believing that the General picks on him. Dillon plays hilarious tricks on the General on April Fools' Day, but is frustrated at every turn when she avoids being tricked by him. Dillon wins battles, but the General keeps winning the war. Later, he plays his best trick ever by putting tiny, plastic bugs in a girl's hair just before the school nurse checks every student's head for lice. Although the General thinks the trick is funny, he gets detention...again. She makes Dillon help the new boy, Tran Anh Vo, whose family members are refugees from Vietnam. After having seen bloody movies about the Vietnam War, Dillon is scared when he visits Tran's home, until Tran's mother explains the terrible suffering the family endured before they fled. Dillon learns respect for Buddhist traditions, as he witnesses Tran's family honoring ancestors by burning incense and praying at a small shrine in their dining room. At school, Dillon helps a gentle black boy, Jabari, who is autistic. Dillon and Jabari learn from Tran how to make paper frogs and jet fighters (origami). Dillon continues to grow in understanding and respecting others; yet, he still questions the authority of his teacher. Dillon and Tran become targets of the class bully, "Big Joe", whose grandfather was killed in Vietnam. Big Joe hates all Vietnamese people. After Dillon slips on a wet restroom floor during a fire drill and has a concussion, the General visits him in the hospital. Their feud seems to take a turn for the better. Still, he is confused when the General gives him the "sock monkey" she made for her own son. Dillon hopes her son doesn't mind. Dillon doesn't know her son died in Vietnam while saving the lives of other soldiers. Dillon hopes he can trust the General when she promises to visit him again. He decides to test his teacher, before he will trust her. Can their relationship improve? He is waiting to see. When the General fails to appear, Dillon vows to continue their feud. He does not know that she is very, very ill. The next week, Dillon's army father surprises their family in a surprise visit from the war in Afghanistan. When Dillon returns to school, he learns that the General has been replaced by a clueless substitute he names "Captain Klutz". The Klutz is at his mercy, and classroom behavior descends into chaos. "Major Payne" quickly restores order and guides the class through the big achievement tests. On Field Day, Dillon watches in amazement at the changes in Big Joe. While Dillon was out sick, the General taught the class about the war against communism. Dillon mistakenly thinks the General hates him because he reminds her of her dead son. In truth, his teacher loves him for himself and his humorous antics. Angry and resentful, he destroys part of his science fair project. Regretting his action, he repairs his electric generator and turns it in. When the General undergoes dangerous surgery, Dillon realizes how wrong he has been. He admits to himself that his own behavior caused many of their problems. If she survives, will he surrender, bringing an end to their war? Scroll to the top and buy this charming book