A Week in the Woods
 | |
| Author | Andrew Clements |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 2002 |
| Pages | 190 |
| ISBN | 978-0-689-85802-4 |
| OCLC | 54831519 |
A Week in the Woods is a children's book by Andrew Clements. Part of his School series, it was released by Simon & Schuster in 2002.
Awards
The book was critically acclaimed, and nominated for a number of awards.
- California Young Reader Medal
- Golden Sower Masterlist (NE)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- Land of Enchantment Children's Master List (NM)
The book won:
- the Iowa Children's Choice Awards (2004–2005).[1]
- the Keystone to Reading Book Award of Pennsylvania (2005).[2]
Plot
This story takes place in New Hampshire where Mr. Maxwell, a fifth grade science teacher, is in charge of the school‟s "Week in the Woods" program. He is an Eagle Scout and an avid outdoorsman. He has organized and carried out this program for sixteen years. He is totally organized and prepared, months in advance, for the upcoming week in the woods, but there is something that he doesn't know, something that he cannot prepare for, which is trouble.
Mark Chelmsley IV, a rich child living in New York, is moving to a small hick town in New Hampshire. His parents work constantly and are extremely wealthy. Mark is not happy about the move. It is in the middle of his fifth grade year and he feels abandoned and uninvolved in the decisions that are being made all around him. Mark moves into the new, fancy house with Anya and Leon, his "babysitters" from Russia. They are officially the butler and the maid, but Mark feels like they are there to take care of him because his parents are too busy with work. The house and its surroundings are beautiful, but Mark is unimpressed.
Mark goes to school and is in Mr. Maxwell‟s class. Mr. Maxwell pegs him as a slacker. During the day he hears that Mark is the one living in the old Fawcett Farm, a three and a half million-dollar home. Mark‟s family is the talk of the town. There isn't anything Mr. Maxwell hates more than spoiled rich kids who are slackers.
At school, Mark chooses not to make friends, not to complete his work, not to even become involved. His other schools were better and he has already learned everything that his being taught here. At his other schools, all the kids were rich so he didn't stand out. Mark decides to check out. He already has a place at the best boarding school in the country for sixth grade. This school is just a place to keep him busy for four months.
Bibliography
- A Week in the Woods. Simon & Schuster. 20 September 2002. ISBN 978-0-689-85974-8.
Notes
External links
- Simon & Schuster: List of awards won by A Week in the Woods.