THE SECRET SCHOOL

Book ID/图书代码： 02330007B17256

English Summary/英文概要： More than anything, Ida Bidson wants to become a teacher. To do that, she needs to finish eighth grade so she can go on to high school. But when the one-room school in Ida’s remote Colorado town closes unexpectedly, that dream seems unattainable. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a secret school needs a teacher. Ida can’t be it. . . . Or can she?

In the spirit of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, two-time Newbery Honor recipient Avi once again has created a compelling story featuring a headstrong and memorable heroine who is determined to take control of her destiny.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 小伙伴们也许会有一些麻烦 — 时下，一辆T型车在教室内横冲直撞可是件稀奇事。然而，这个祸事起源于一个14岁孩子和一位八年级老师的寓教于乐的创意点子。
Avi笔下的小主人公都是那些挣扎在底层生活的人物，但读者对这个故事主人公希望自己能改善他们生活，获得良好教育的美好愿望也感同深受。
因为看来没有什么直接发生的事情，你不会看到许多大场面的动作描述 — 也许会让我们似乎很难对这个故事着迷。特别是在这个故事中没有一个所谓的“坏蛋”，而故事中所发生的这个问题看上去也很好解决时。这儿没有一个互相较劲的对手，— 每个人都还不错，只是这些人对于重要的问题有着自己不同的想法。
这绝对是一本值得一读的故事，尤其当面临重要问题时 — 她需要接受教育，但她农场干活的父母无法帮助她完成这个愿望。而我们这个故事中的小女主人公还希望自己能帮到其他小伙伴们，虽然她无技傍身，而对于故事中的另一个角色赫伯特来说，他也是同样孤立无援。(Sandy)

Awards/获奖情况：Weaving together a fast-moving plot, solid characterizations, sharply tuned dialogue and a wealth of detail, Avi (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle) offers another satisfying historical novel, this time evoking rural Colorado in 1925. When the teacher at the one-room schoolhouse in Elk Valley must depart unexpectedly, the head of the school board decides to end the academic year right then, a month and a half before the summer break. To his surprise, 14-year-old Ida Bidson protests, because without exit exams, she cannot proceed to high school in the fall. "I’m not so sure a girl needs a high school education," Mr. Jordan retorts, undeterred. Then Ida’s friend Tom comes up with a plan: "You’re such a gravy know-it-all," he tells her. "You could take over the school when Miss Fletcher leaves." And so she does, swearing the students to secrecy. It’s no easy task "Miss Bidson" has to learn self-confidence, and she must keep up with her farm chores and with her own studies. To compound the challenge, the county examiner discovers the secret and agrees to keep it only if all the students take a final exam. Right from the opening scene showing resourceful Ida and her seven-year-old brother driving the family’s Model T to school Ida at the wheel hollering directions ("Brake and clutch!") while Felix pushes the pedals with his hands Avi wittily up-ends the usual roles assigned adults and children. A crowd-pleaser. Ages 8-12.---From Publishers Weekly

Gr 3-6-"I’m not so sure a girl needs a high school education," the head of a rural Colorado school board tells 14-year-old Ida Bidson in 1925. The one-room schoolhouse that she and seven other children attend is to be closed early, and if Ida and her friend Tom don’t finish eighth grade and take their exams, they’ll lose their chance to attend high school. Without a diploma, Ida will never fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher and seeing the world beyond the mountains. After Tom suggests that she could conduct the classes, the secret school commences and is subsequently threatened by a county administrator, the local school board, and an angry parent. Avi ably conveys an evocative sense of life in a poor, remote farming community just before the start of the Great Depression. He skillfully creates interesting, fully developed main and secondary characters. Ida’s struggles with the difficulties of being both teacher and student and carrying out her duties at home, as well as her worry about whether or not the students will pass the exams, are suspensefully portrayed. Humorously effective descriptions, as in the Bidsons’ old car "hiccuping like a damp firecracker," enliven the sense of hardships. The importance of education and dreaming of one’s future are imparted in an entertaining way. This carefully plotted, enjoyable, old-fashioned tale of children taking control of a bad situation is a welcome addition to the literature of empowerment.---B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NY, From School Library Journal

About the Author/作者介绍： Avi是一位专攻撰写有关19世纪背景故事的一位兼职作家。生于1937年的他，在纽约长大。Avi自小便在当地的学校接受教育。在前往美国中西部之后，他又回到了纽约完成自己的学业。靠多年来从事图书管理员的累积经验，作为一名编剧开始了自己的写作生涯，当Avi的第一个孩子降生时，他开始着手为年轻读者撰写作品。
他的第一部小说《时而发生的事情》在1970年发表，最近又再版发行。自此，他一共创作了70部作品。赢得了无数奖项，其中包括在2003年荣获的纽伯瑞奖的《鞋匠》，他还获得过两个纽伯瑞荣誉奖，两个号角图书奖，和一个奥泰尔奖，以及许多儿童书籍精选奖，作者本人经常在各地的学校间，与他的读者们进行互动交流。
2008年，作者发表了《预言家的影子》。《稀里糊涂的开始》等系列儿童小说作品和一部独幕剧精选辑。2011年出版的《城市孤儿》，受到了业界无数好评。想要更多的了解作者，请登录作者本人的脸谱网站，在他的个人网页上，读者将了解到作者的写作创作过程。
Avi和妻儿目前住在科罗拉多州的丹佛市。

AVI has written many acclaimed novels for middle grade and teen readers, including his two Newbery Honor winners, Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Format:TRADE PAPERBACK

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

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