Who's the Queen?

The Recess Queen

Written by: Alexis O’Neill

Illustrated by: Laura Huliska-Beith

Scholastic Press, 2002

32 pages

Contemporary Realistic Fiction Book

A little girl, Jean, wants to kick, swing, and bounce before everyone else at recess and becomes the bully. She ends up with the name Mean Jean because if she doesn’t get to doing anything thing first at recess she pushes and hammers the other kids. However, one day a new little girl, Katie Sue, starts school and when ends up kicking, swinging, and bouncing first. 

This makes Mean Jean very upset and throws her into a meltdown. 

Katie Sue goes up to Jean and offers her an invitation to play. 

Will Mean Jean accept the offer? What will happen to Katie Sue?

The illustrations are in a collage format that are bright and bold which are 

just as energetic as the text throughout the book. 

I would use this for Social Studies in First Grade. 

I would use this book on our topic of bullying and friendships. I would have the children draw pictures of what they think a bully looks like. Then when we would discuss how to handle a bully. 

I would have the children turn their papers over and draw a picture of how to 

handle the bully they drew on the opposite side. 

Afterwards we would have a discussion about each other’s drawings.