In the halls of Nottingham Elementary there is a fifth grader named Robin Loxley. She is a lover of all things basketball and a believer in fairness. So when playground bully Nadia starts charging kids to play on the playground equipment, Robin wants to step in and do something.
Nadia takes Bonus Bucks as her playground tax. Bonus Bucks are rewards that students at Nottingham can earn by getting good grades, helping out in the classroom, or getting caught by a teacher doing something nice for someone else. Robin has been saving hers for a long time. She is hoping to buy the best birthday present ever for her best friend Mary Ann, who’s been angry with her because Robin couldn’t make it to Mary Ann’s ballet recital.
Robin has her eyes set on a special prize: President for a Day. It costs 300 Bonus Bucks, and she is up to 297. With less than a week to go, Robin has to figure out how to get 3 more bucks. But when Nadia raises her playground tax, Robin can’t help but step in. Putting her hood up and confronting the bully, Robin knows she has to do something.
However, her attempt to balance the scales ends up with her in detention and all the Bonus Bucks getting suspended. Now Robin has to figure out how to how to fix everything so that she can win back Mary Ann’s friendship and Nadia and her gang no longer take advantage of the other kids on the playground, and the clock is ticking. Can Robin and her friends shoot a bulls-eye on this challenge?
Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw is a charming retelling of the Robin Hood legend for kids. Gina Loveless wrote a fun, energetic story with clever Easter eggs from the original story, and illustrator Andrea Bell adds lots of dynamic drawings to fill out the story. This is a great introduction to the story of Robin Hood as well as a smart way to teach kids about standing up to bullies and doing the right thing for its own sake. Lively, spirited, and easy to read!
Galleys for Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw were provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.