Gettin' through Thursday
(Click to buy On-line)

Author:  Melrose Cooper, Nneka Bennett (Illustrator)
Publisher:  Lee & Low Books, Incorporated
Date Published:  September 1998
Format:  Trade Cloth   

On Thursdays, the day before payday, spirits are as low as provisions. Thursday is also the day report cards arrive, and Andre is excited and proud of his grades, but he's also worried because Mama has promised a party for any child who makes the honor roll. How will she throw a party when report card day falls on Thursday? Full color.

Review
Andre's mama works hard at her job as a school lunch lady to support her family. But her paycheck has a hard time stretching from Friday to Friday. That's why Thursdays are hard for Andre, his brother Davis and his sister Shawna. At the beginning of the school year, Mama promised that she'd throw a "royal party" for any one who made the honor roll. Now, it looks like Andre will be the first one to do it! The only problem is that report card day falls on the worst possible day: Thursday. Still, Mama finds an imaginative and loving way to keep her promise, and it doesn't cost a dime. The storytelling style is conversational and contemporary. The watercolor illustrations are warm and expressive. Parents and children from all backgrounds will relate to this plot, and enjoy its happy ending. - Dianne Ochiltree - Children's Literature