The School Story facts for kids
Cover of first edition, 2001
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| Author | Andrew Clements |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Brian Selznick |
| Cover artist | Brian Selznick |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
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Publication date
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2001 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
The School Story is an exciting children's novel written by Andrew Clements. It was first published in 2001. The book is about two twelve-year-old girls who have a big dream: to get a book published.
Contents
The Publishing Adventure Begins
The story starts with Natalie, a twelve-year-old, who has almost finished writing her own novel. Her book is called The Cheater, and it's about a girl and her friends. It's very rare for someone her age to get a book published. But Natalie's best friend, Zoe Reisman, believes The Cheater is good enough for the world to read.
A Secret Plan to Get Published
Natalie wants her mother, Hannah Nelson, to edit her book. Hannah works as an editor at a publishing company called Shipley Junior Books. The tricky part is, Natalie doesn't want her mom to know she wrote it!
To keep it a secret, Natalie uses a fake name, or pseudonym, called Cassandra Day. Zoe steps in to act as Natalie's literary agent. She even invents a fake business called the "Sherry Clutch Literary Agency." Zoe also uses a different name, "Zee Zee," and changes how she says her last name to hide her true identity.
Forming the Publishing Club
The girls decide to rent a small, cheap "instant office" to make their plan seem more real. Soon, they realize they need some adult help. They ask their teacher, Ms. Laura Clayton, to be their advisor. Together, the three of them form "The Publishing Club."
Zoe gives Ms. Clayton $500 to pay for the office and other costs. However, Ms. Clayton feels a bit guilty about taking the money from a student. So, she secretly pays for everything herself and keeps Zoe's money safe in her bank account.
Facing Challenges at Shipley
The girls face a big challenge at Shipley Junior Books. The head editor, Letha Springfield, is known for being tough. People even call her "Lethal" Letha!
Dealing with "Lethal" Letha
Letha sees that The Cheater could be a very successful book. She decides to take over editing the manuscript herself. But Zoe, pretending to be "Zee Zee," gets into an argument with Letha. Zoe insists that Cassandra (Natalie) will only work with Hannah as her editor.
Letha refuses and says the book won't be published by Shipley unless she gets an apology. This creates a big problem for the girls' plan.
Getting Help from the Top
Zoe finds a clever way around this issue. She sends a copy of the book directly to Tom Morton, who is the president of Shipley. She also includes a letter explaining Cassandra's wishes.
Tom reads the story and absolutely loves it! He then tells Letha to let Hannah handle the editing. This is a huge win for Natalie and Zoe.
Signing the Contract
Later, the girls are offered a contract for the book. They show it to Zoe's father, who is a lawyer. He helps them understand the legal parts. To keep Natalie's identity a secret, her Uncle Fred signs the contract instead of her mother.
After hearing the whole story from the girls, Zoe's father is very impressed with Ms. Clayton. He calls her to praise her efforts. He also makes sure she sends him a bill for the office costs, so she can get her money back.
