Theodore & the Town That Cried

By Linda G. Schott

A troubled child, a deadly weapon, and a classroom of bullies posed a menacing threat to the children of Ravens Gap Elementary School. Teasing and taunting Theodore because of a physical handicap... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967385903
• ISBN13: 9780967385907
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Newmark Pr
• Weight: 0.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

My teacher's book

This book was written by my 5th grade teacher, Mrs.Schott. I REALLY liked it!

A Sensitive Book for a Sensitive Issue

As a teacher, I highly recommend this book to any classroom teacher or counselor to use as an enhancement to a study on bullying. Theodore, the main character in the book, is pushed to a dangerous point by the bullying of his classmates. When children recognize that bullying can have far-reaching consequences, they stop dead in their tracks, re-evaluate their words and actions, and make another choice when they come upon someone that might be a little "different." My students couldn't put this book down, and the intimate and revealing discussions which took place with each session gave them an outlet for expressing their own pain when they describe being on the receiving end of a bully. Forgiveness is another lesson taught in this book. Empathy, however, stands out as the most valuable lesson our children can learn today.

Writing isn't great, but the story needs to be told

This is a moderately-well told story of a boy who brings a gun to school to make some kids he doesn't like back off. Although he never pulls it out, the consequences came around to him and his best friend. I bought this book for my 10 year old brothers to read about the real consequences of violence and in discussions after one of them read the book, I believe I got my point across. The plot is not complex or well-written enough to sustain the interest of an adult, but it is an excellent read for children who are just beginning to learn about violence (in whatever form it comes in).

A brilliant, timely tale

I just finished reading Linda Schott's Theodore and the Town That Cried (coincidentally on April 19, the same date as the tragedy in the story) and found it to be a simply yet brilliantly written story. It delves into the life and thoughts of a fifth-grade boy who feels like a pariah at his school, suffering from a physical handicap and the taunts of class bullies, desperately wanting to be accepted. The resulting tragedy, as well as the healing which followed, affected not only Theodore, the main character, and his classmates, but the whole town in which he lived, and rushes to mind real, palpable tragedies which are happening here and now. I encourage anyone and everyone to read this beautiful story and believe that if we all followed the lessons from this story, understanding how words affect us, how compassion can change us, and how tragedy forces us to accept the consequences of our actions, we would live in a much happier world.