SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

September 8, 2009 by Travis Jonker

Book Review: Constance and the Great Escape by Pierre Le Gall

September 8, 2009 by Travis Jonker   1 comments

constancecov

Constance and the Great Escape (Constance #2)
By Pierre Le Gall
Illustrated by Éric Héliot
Sterling
ISBN: 9781402766497
$9.95
Grades 1-3
In Stores
Review copy provided by publisher

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

*Recommended*

It’s fairly rare in children’s literature to run across an unlikeable character with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Sure Junie B. Jones breaks some rules, Max is difficult, and Pigeon can be self-centered, but all of those characters provoke sympathy from the reader.

Not Constance.

Rude and manipulative, her over-the-top behavior will come as a bit of a shock to those used to warmer, friendlier characters. In Constance and the Great Escape, Le Gall presents a personality that is completely disagreeable, yet difficult to stop reading about. An easy reader series worth checking out.

After pushing her parents, teacher, and principal to the breaking point with her wild behavior, Constance is sent to the ironically named Jolly Boarding School, in hopes that the strict rules and regulations will change her ways. Alone and missing her huge, unruly cat Tiny, Constance hatches a plan – if she’s there to correct her behavior, what if it doesn’t need fixing? Constance “shapes up” in a hurry, fooling her boarding school headmasters and earning a ticket home to continue her misbehaving ways.

The story is told from the perspective of Constance, and she is the quintessential unreliable narrator. On every page, the text tells her side of things, while the pen and ink illustrations tell the truth. When she says her teachers are bad, the artwork shows Constance shooting a fire extinguisher into the principal’s office. When she states that her parents don’t want her to be happy, the page shows Constance demolishing the house.

Don’t underestimate the intelligence of young readers. While there will likely be some folks who say this sort of book is setting a bad example, I disagree. Her bad behavior and attitude of denial is where the fun lies. Kids know that Constance isn’t a role model, but will enjoy her mischievous exploits.

You don’t often see these two sentences next to each other, but here goes:

A character with no appeal. A book many young readers will enjoy.

Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.

Filed under: *Best New Books*, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

October 2021

Review: The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin

by Travis Jonker

February 2021

Review: Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd

by Travis Jonker

August 2020

Review: Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

by Travis Jonker

July 2020

Review: Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright

by Travis Jonker

April 2020

Review: The Sewer Rat Stink (Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel #1) by Tom Angleberger

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Will Spring Be Early? Or Will Spring Be Late? by Crockett Johnson

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Readers’ Poll Results

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Philosophy and/as/of Literature, a guest post by Amy Zhang

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Best Picture Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books

SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite Books Read in 2022

Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books

SLJ’s 2022 Best Books Are Live. Download a PDF of the Complete List.

Best Books 2022 | The Year in SLJ Covers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael D. says

    April 8, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    Character with no appeal is correct. There are no redeeming qualities about the main character. I have to disagree with your assumption that children will enjoy her mischievous exploits. There is really nothing to ‘enjoy’ about the suffering that this child inflicts on people. This book sends a message to children that the decisions made by the parents of Constance were not in their daughter’s best interest and that they were simply making life difficult for the child. This is some terrible writing Pierre.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023