First story, four stars. GB is a bit like [b:Stargirl|22232|Stargirl (Stargirl, #1)|Jerry Spinelli|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335947642s/22232.jpg|963221] but younger and more charismatic. I liked the lesson of not jumping to conclusions but rather looking at things through a different lens to get a more full perspective.

Second & third story, 2.5 stars. I got tired of GB doing the teaching - little miss know-it-all was all too helpful to teacher and other students. Some funny bits and some charm, and I do like all the different characters. They're a bit cardboard, a bit stereotyped.

Fourth story, four stars. Miss Pigeon had a bigger role, and the theme was treated beautifully. GB's genius is still implausible, as it's the kind that comes from life-experience and the girl is only 8.

I don't think you could really fully appreciate the fourth story without reading all the others in order.

Lee Adams did a great job of narrating - she read a bit slowly and I'm grateful. Most children in the class were immediately identifiable by voice - we didn't always need Malcolm said" & etc.

This would be a fantastic collection for a family road trip. Seven hours and lots and lots of discussion points and activity prompts." ( )

I read someone's comparison of Gooney Bird to a younger version of Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl Carraway. I have to say I agree in some sense. This was an amazing collection of stories that really would aid a teacher in presenting various forms of writing to a young class. The books were so much fun and if you have the chance, I recommend listening to Lee Adams read them. She does an exceptional job. ( )

Both of my kids absolutely LOVED these books. My kids are 3 & 5 and when we were finished with the stories they were so upset. Honestly, Gooney Bird annoyed me at first because she sometimes took the role of the teacher and I felt that she needed to back down a bit. After I got used to her personality it didn't bother me quite so much. In one of the stories, a substitute teaches and it's funny seeing the way she reacts to Gooney Bird Green. Overall, it was a very fun story! There is plenty of opportunities for the reader to expand their vocabulary b/c the second graders like to use their dictionaries. My 5 year old is using a lot of words now that he didn't use before. To see full review go here http://books4linda.blogspot.com/2011/06/gooney-bird-green-collection-by-lois.htm... ( )