Independent Reading Level: Grades 3-4

Third-grader Jake has a problem: he is a teacher’s pet. It all starts when he helps Mrs. Snavin, his teacher, with a computer program. Then, it gets worse when his art teacher thanks him for cleaning out art supplies, and his gym teacher points him out to the class for not complaining when he got hit first in six games of dodgeball. But the absolute worst happens when the principal praises him in front of the entire lunch room. The next day, it seems that every teacher and even the bus driver is giving him a special nice treatment whereas the school kids are giving him a special mean treatment. In an attempt to make it all stop, Jake decides to start misbehaving, but the results are not quite what he had expected, and he has to take a different approach: be true to himself.

This is an unassuming little book that accurately portrays the difficulties that a child might encounter if he were to be treated specially by teachers and other adult school personnel. Elementary school students will recognize the school atmosphere that is depicted, and the first-person narration effectively puts the reader in Jake’s shoes. Jake is a credible character, and the story is written in accessible language that could be that of a fourth-grader (which is the grade Jake is in when he recounts this story). Some quirky details lend a humorous undertone to the story, which does not take away from Jake’s dilemmas. The few pen and ink illustrations add vividness to the story. Recommended for grades 2 to 5. ( )

Jake Drake's teachers think Jake is so sweet. Every class Jake goes in, his teacher and treat him special. But, in the cafeteria things get embarrassing when the PRINCIPAL gets involved... Can Jake prove it is all a big mistake? ( )

Every adult can think back and reflect on one time or another he/she was a teacher's pet. Everyone as a child wants to be notice, and I as child was one of these people too. I can relate to this story a lot.

The worst thing ever happens to Jake…all the teachers love him, which makes all the other students hate him. Cute, but the writing is very simple. ( )