3 More Books About Alexander"s Terrible, Horrible... You Know
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
With more than 2 million copies in print, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst is the most popular of her books based on the experiences of her son Alexander when he was a little boy. What many don't realize is that there are three other books about Alexander, with the latest published in 2014. On the following pages, you'll find information about all four of the books.
All About Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Author: Judith Viorst, author of books for children and adults, including The Tenth Best Thing About Barney, which is on my list of the Top 10 Children's Picture Books About the Death of a Pet. For a sample of her poetry for children, see The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry.
Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Summary: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is not only very popular, but the phrase "I'm having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" has become a popular way for adults and children alike to describe a day that is bad from beginning to end.
From the moment he gets up and discovers that while he was sleeping the gum that had been in his moth was now stuck in his hair, Alexander knew it was going to be a bad day. Things go from bad to worse and illustrator Ray Cruz beautifully captures Alexander's reactions as he alternates between anger, chagrin, embarrassment and disgruntlement as "the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" continues.
As Alexander lies in bed at the end of his awful day, he says, "My mom says some days are like that" and then turns over and goes to sleep.
According to Judith Viorst, "I observed that the concept of 'I'm having a bad day,' seemed to help adults get through those bad days a little better...And so I wrote about such a day for Alexander, who was having a lot of them." (Source: Judith Viorst, A Tribute to the Young at Heart Series) Indeed, the story of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day has been a comfort to young children and their parents for more than 40 years. The book has been honored as an ALA Notable Children's Book.
Length: 32 pages
Recommended for: This is a terrific book.I recommend it for ages 4-9.
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, board book, eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: The book was first published in 1972.
ISBNs: Special Hardcover Color Edition - ISBN 9781416985952; Hardcover: ISBN: 9780689300721; Paperback - ISBN: 9780689711732; Board Book - ISBN: 9781481414128; eBook - ISBN: ISBN 9781442463165
Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
Title: Alexander, Who Used toBe Rich Last Sunday
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Summary: Alexander is unhappy that both his brother Anthony and his brother Nicholas have more money than he has. It's just not fair! Even when he's rich, Alexander, confides, he'll soon be poor. He tells about the day he and his brothers each received the gift of $1 from visiting relatives. Part of the fun is that Alexander spends his dollar on so many different things, itemizing each expenditure and several losses.
Alexander can't wait to spend his money, which quickly disappears as he buys gum and more gum, loses bets with his both his brothers and his mother, rents his friend Eddie's snake for an hour, and loses and spends a little bit here and a little bit there. At the end, he's broke again, with little to show for it. Ray Cruz's illustrations capture both Alexander's joy and disappointment as he goes from rich to broke.
Length: 32 pages
Recommended for: I recommend the amusing Alexander, Who Used toBe Rich Last Sunday for ages 5-9, as long as they have some understanding of money
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: Alexander, Who Used toBe Rich Last Sunday was first published in 1978.
ISBN: Hardcover - ISBN: 9780689306020, Paperback - ISBN: 9780689711992; eBook - ISBN: 9781442463172
Title: Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of Fancy Nancy and Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, among others, created the illustrations for the book in the style of Ray Cruz.
Summary: Alexander says that even if his father has a new job and they have to move, "I'm not - DO YOU HEAR ME? I MEAN IT! - going to move." The little boy has lots of good reasons fro not leaving, including leaving his best friend Paul and his great sitter Rachel and moving a thousand miles away where the only kids who know him are his two brothers.
His brothers make fun of him for not wanting to move, but he's not convinced. Maybe Alexander could live with the neighbors or in a tree house.
Alexander reluctantly says goodbye to his favorite places and people. His parents reassure Alexander, his father promises him a new dog "to be his friend until he makes some people friends." His friends give him goodbye gifts and even his brother Nick reassures him, telling him that if he is "lonesome in my new room all by myself, he might let me sleep with him for a little while." At last, Alexander decides to pack and move, too, but never again!
Length: 32 pages
Recommended for: I recommend this sympathetic and amusing book for ages 5-8, particularly families that are planning a move.
Formats: Hardcover, paperback eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: hardcover ISBN: 9780689319587, paperback ISBN: 9780689820892; eBook: ISBN: 9781442463189
Related About.com Resources
Moving Family: How to Break the News to Children
How to Prepare Kids to Move
Kids Books on Moving: Ages 0-10
Title: Alexander, Who's Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: While Isidre Monés created the illustrations for the book in the style of Ray Cruz, they are not as effective as those in the earlier books.
Summary: His mother says there will be consequences because Alexander ate a whole box of jelly doughnuts. His mom found out about it when he woke up with a bellyache and she found the empty doughnut box he'd hidden.
Alexander has to stay in his room with no TV or video games while his brothers go on a bike ride with his dad. Alexander hates consequences so he tells his family that from now on, "I am being the best boy ever for the complete and entire rest of my life.
His brothers say it's not going to happen and Alexander finds it to be a difficult task to be the "best boy ever" at home, on the school bus, at school and at music class. However, he mostly succeeds and after being on his best behavior for a week, it give him a stomach ache just to think about being good forever. If he's going to have a bellyache, Alexander decides he'd rather have one from eating too many doughnuts; he just needs a better place to hide the doughnut box.
Length: 40 pages
Recommended for: While neither the story or the illustrations is as good as in the previous Alexander books, this is still an amusing story for kids ages 4-8 and a good conversation starter about behavior ad consequences.
Formats: Hardcover, paperback eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: Hardcover ISBN: 9781481423533; eBook: ISBN: 9781481423540
Introduction
With more than 2 million copies in print, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst is the most popular of her books based on the experiences of her son Alexander when he was a little boy. What many don't realize is that there are three other books about Alexander, with the latest published in 2014. On the following pages, you'll find information about all four of the books.
All About Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Author: Judith Viorst, author of books for children and adults, including The Tenth Best Thing About Barney, which is on my list of the Top 10 Children's Picture Books About the Death of a Pet. For a sample of her poetry for children, see The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry.
Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Summary: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is not only very popular, but the phrase "I'm having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" has become a popular way for adults and children alike to describe a day that is bad from beginning to end.
From the moment he gets up and discovers that while he was sleeping the gum that had been in his moth was now stuck in his hair, Alexander knew it was going to be a bad day. Things go from bad to worse and illustrator Ray Cruz beautifully captures Alexander's reactions as he alternates between anger, chagrin, embarrassment and disgruntlement as "the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" continues.
As Alexander lies in bed at the end of his awful day, he says, "My mom says some days are like that" and then turns over and goes to sleep.
According to Judith Viorst, "I observed that the concept of 'I'm having a bad day,' seemed to help adults get through those bad days a little better...And so I wrote about such a day for Alexander, who was having a lot of them." (Source: Judith Viorst, A Tribute to the Young at Heart Series) Indeed, the story of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day has been a comfort to young children and their parents for more than 40 years. The book has been honored as an ALA Notable Children's Book.
Length: 32 pages
Recommended for: This is a terrific book.I recommend it for ages 4-9.
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, board book, eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: The book was first published in 1972.
ISBNs: Special Hardcover Color Edition - ISBN 9781416985952; Hardcover: ISBN: 9780689300721; Paperback - ISBN: 9780689711732; Board Book - ISBN: 9781481414128; eBook - ISBN: ISBN 9781442463165
Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
Title: Alexander, Who Used toBe Rich Last Sunday
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Summary: Alexander is unhappy that both his brother Anthony and his brother Nicholas have more money than he has. It's just not fair! Even when he's rich, Alexander, confides, he'll soon be poor. He tells about the day he and his brothers each received the gift of $1 from visiting relatives. Part of the fun is that Alexander spends his dollar on so many different things, itemizing each expenditure and several losses.
Alexander can't wait to spend his money, which quickly disappears as he buys gum and more gum, loses bets with his both his brothers and his mother, rents his friend Eddie's snake for an hour, and loses and spends a little bit here and a little bit there. At the end, he's broke again, with little to show for it. Ray Cruz's illustrations capture both Alexander's joy and disappointment as he goes from rich to broke.
Length: 32 pages
Recommended for: I recommend the amusing Alexander, Who Used toBe Rich Last Sunday for ages 5-9, as long as they have some understanding of money
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: Alexander, Who Used toBe Rich Last Sunday was first published in 1978.
ISBN: Hardcover - ISBN: 9780689306020, Paperback - ISBN: 9780689711992; eBook - ISBN: 9781442463172
Title: Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of Fancy Nancy and Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, among others, created the illustrations for the book in the style of Ray Cruz.
Summary: Alexander says that even if his father has a new job and they have to move, "I'm not - DO YOU HEAR ME? I MEAN IT! - going to move." The little boy has lots of good reasons fro not leaving, including leaving his best friend Paul and his great sitter Rachel and moving a thousand miles away where the only kids who know him are his two brothers.
His brothers make fun of him for not wanting to move, but he's not convinced. Maybe Alexander could live with the neighbors or in a tree house.
Alexander reluctantly says goodbye to his favorite places and people. His parents reassure Alexander, his father promises him a new dog "to be his friend until he makes some people friends." His friends give him goodbye gifts and even his brother Nick reassures him, telling him that if he is "lonesome in my new room all by myself, he might let me sleep with him for a little while." At last, Alexander decides to pack and move, too, but never again!
Length: 32 pages
Recommended for: I recommend this sympathetic and amusing book for ages 5-8, particularly families that are planning a move.
Formats: Hardcover, paperback eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: hardcover ISBN: 9780689319587, paperback ISBN: 9780689820892; eBook: ISBN: 9781442463189
Related About.com Resources
Moving Family: How to Break the News to Children
How to Prepare Kids to Move
Kids Books on Moving: Ages 0-10
Title: Alexander, Who's Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: While Isidre Monés created the illustrations for the book in the style of Ray Cruz, they are not as effective as those in the earlier books.
Summary: His mother says there will be consequences because Alexander ate a whole box of jelly doughnuts. His mom found out about it when he woke up with a bellyache and she found the empty doughnut box he'd hidden.
Alexander has to stay in his room with no TV or video games while his brothers go on a bike ride with his dad. Alexander hates consequences so he tells his family that from now on, "I am being the best boy ever for the complete and entire rest of my life.
His brothers say it's not going to happen and Alexander finds it to be a difficult task to be the "best boy ever" at home, on the school bus, at school and at music class. However, he mostly succeeds and after being on his best behavior for a week, it give him a stomach ache just to think about being good forever. If he's going to have a bellyache, Alexander decides he'd rather have one from eating too many doughnuts; he just needs a better place to hide the doughnut box.
Length: 40 pages
Recommended for: While neither the story or the illustrations is as good as in the previous Alexander books, this is still an amusing story for kids ages 4-8 and a good conversation starter about behavior ad consequences.
Formats: Hardcover, paperback eBook
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: Hardcover ISBN: 9781481423533; eBook: ISBN: 9781481423540
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