Alideschenes's Blog

Book #11

The Meanest Thing to Say

Written by: Bill Cosby Illustrated by: Varnette P. Honeywood

Grade: 1st to 2nd

ISBN 0-590-13754-9

The Meanest Thing to Say is about a boy named Little Billy. A new student comes to his classroom named Michael and he is a trouble maker. When recess begins Michael tells his new classmates that he has a new game to play. The game is whoever can say the meanest thing wins. Michael was so mean to Little Billy that he did not even know what to say. At dinner that night Little Billy’s dad taught him to just say “so” to anything Michael said. The next day at recess Little Billy tried his Dad’s trick and it worked Michael got really mad and had nothing else to say. Little Billy felt bad for him and invited him to play basketball with them and they became great friends!

This is a great book to teach children about teasing each other and how it can really make someone upset. I would also take words got of this book and do a word lesson with it. It is a great book for beginning readers.