The Recess Queen

O'Neil, Alexis. 2002. The Recess Queen. New York: Scholastic Press.

Summary

In this children's story we are introduced to the school bully Mean Jean. She gets to do everything first on the playground because all the other children are afraid of her and let her have her way. A new student arrives at the school and does not know anything about Mean Jean and her playground rules. The new student runs out onto the playground and uses all the playground equipment before Mean Jean. Just as Mean Jean is about to explode the new girl invites her to jump rope with her and Mean Jean accepts the offer and they become friends.

Impressions

This is a fun and entertaining book for young children. The bullying plot is something that most children can relate to in some way or another. The illustrations are bright and colorful and go along with the playful and energetic text. Much of the dialog is done with entertaining rhymes. One can only wish, though, that bullying could be stopped so easily.

Reviews

Booklist( April 01, 2002 ; 0-439-20637-5 ) Ages 3-6. Mean Jean is the playground bully ("she pushed kids and smooshed kids, / lollapalooshed kids, / hammered `em, slammered `em, / kitz and kajammer `em"). No one can stand up to her, until new kid Katie Sue arrives. The physicalness of the words makes the wild nonsense rhyme great for reading aloud and joining in, and the brilliantly colored, computer-generated art captures the yelling playground mayhem that's both scary and wonderful. --Hazel Rochman

Kirkus Reviews( December 15, 2001 ; 0-439-20637-5 ) "Positing that bullies only act that way because they're lonely, O'Neill (Loud Emily, 1998) puts seemingly meek, new classmate Katie Sue up against aggressive Mean Jean, swaggering boss of the playground. Presto change-o, a friendship is born. Though the suggested strategy works far more easily here than it would in real life, young readers will be caught up by Katie Sue's engaging, fizzy exuberance." (Picture book. 7-9)