Field-trip Fiasco

Foolproof Field-Trip Tip #10: Have FUN!

Mrs. Hartwell, still weary from the last class field trip, is fully prepared for this field trip to the zoo. She has her list of field-trip tips and her handy-dandy just-in-case-something-unexpected-happens bag. Will all of her preparation be enough?

With their observation sheets in hand, students begin exploring the zoo. Soon everyone finds out that they are too busy writing to actually observe everything going on around them! A bale of hay, an elephant trunk full of water, and a parrot’s—ahem—droppings, all spell trouble for Mrs. Hartwell and her class.

Mrs. Hartwell has the great idea to collect the observation sheets and save the actual writing for later. The class continues on to see monkeys, lions, hyenas and actually observe what is going on around them. When Mrs. Hartwell and her students meet in the middle, the result is lots of fun (and lots of learning, too)!

The story is accompanied by hilarious illustrations by Judy Love, capturing every detail of this wild field trip.

After graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Julie Danneberg became a teacher. In her classroom, she read many children's books and witnessed the profound impact a good book can have on a child. "I was motivated to try and write books like the ones I enjoy reading." Julie earned great success with First Day Jitters--the funny and engaging story of Sarah Jane Hartwell's first day at a new school. The surprise ending charms and delights readers time and again. Teachers and students alike love these stories, and they are perennial favorites for back-to-school. Julie lives with her husband and two children in Denver. She teaches at a local middle school where she garners ideas for her books. When she's not writing, Julie enjoys reading, quilting, gardening, and spending time with her family. Judy Love is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. She has illustrated numerous children's books, including First Day Jitters and Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg. She lives in North Carolina.