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Freddy Thresher's first-grade class is taking a field trip to the local apple orchard. Best of all, whoever finds the hidden wooden apples among the real fruit will win $5! But can Freddy get to the prize before Max cheats his way to winning?

I really enjoyed this realistic chapter book for young readers. It has all the elements of a great story; an exciting adventure (field trip), competition (finding the hidden apple for a prize), clash of 2 characters (Max and Freddie), dealing with a bully (Max), and solving a problem (finding their class after they get lost).

I think that this is a great read for boys and girls. The end of the book has some great activities as well like a maze puzzle, recipe for apple crisp, directions how to make an apple stamp for art, and even some apple jokes! These activites are great for making connections and engaging students in talk about their reading. ( )

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Critique of Genre: This is an excellent example of realistic fiction because it talks about a first grade class that goes on a field trip to an apple orchard, an event that could easily happen in real life.

Age: Intermediate

Critique of Plot: The author demonstrates the plot of person vs. person in a clear way. For example, the main character, Freddy, has to deal with Max, the class bully. There is a part in the book where Max pushes Freddy to the ground in an effort to steal an item Freddy has in his hands. Freddy’s friends help him up from the ground and stand up to Max, in support of their friend.