Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

"Combines honesty and humor to create a believable and appealing voice." -- School Library Journal

Holm, J. L. (2007). Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Ginny enters seventh grade with a list of things she wishes to accomplish, including going to Florida to see her grandpa, scoring the lead in the play, and making new friends. She did not, however, plan on on dying her hair pink, losing the lead in the play to her ex-best friend, or losing touch with her brother. As readers look through journal entries, receipts, letters, report cards and other personal items, they join Ginny on her roller coaster of a year. Will she accomplish everything on her list and right all the wrongs by the end of the school year?

Reading Level: 1020L
Suggested Delivery: Independent read

Electronic Resources:

Discussions: This source provides some insight into what is told through Ginny's stuff. The site gives students an idea of how to interpret the images and text that are presented throughout the book. For example, after reading her to-do list, readers can determine that she never quite accomplishes them--she always manages to fall short in some ways. The site also lists several discussion questions that students can answer. They can be answered orally if multiple students have read the material, or students can write their answers if they read the book independently.

Book Talk: This website gives a brief synopsis of what the book is about. It also lists several discussion questions that can be answered. There is a short biography on the author, Jennifer Holm. It also lists several books that are similar to this one. If students enjoyed this book, they can check out the list to find more enjoyable literature.

Vocabulary: toe shoes, desperate, horoscope, consideration, indicate, consent, spores, telegraph

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: Discuss various text structures that students have been exposed to thus far--narrative, poem, nonfiction, etc. Discuss and show scrapbooks. What is included in a scrapbook? How do these items tell a story? How does this presentation of material tell a story differently than other structures?
• During Reading: While reading pieces of the book that mention "the management," determine who the management is. Why are they referred to as the management?
• After Reading: Create a voki from Ginny's point of view. Use information that you gathered from her "stuff" in order to accurately portray her thoughts.

Inferential Comprehension: Using the illustrations and the text, what can you gather about Ginny's life at school, home, and with her friends?