Cliques Just Don't Make Cents (Building Relationships)

My second grade class was having a serious problem with cliques. I noticed that this was having an impact on their success in centers. I saw this book and bought it because we were just about to start studying money. I could introduce money while correcting the behavior. We had a discussion about the story and implemented a plan to do better in class.It is a cute story about a penny that is different from the silver coins. The children also borrowed the book to read at home. I took this as a good sign that the point had been made that cliques really don't make sense. They also identified the homophone in the title. It made me smile. It is a great addition to any library.

Very long book to get a point across. I lost my crowd half way through but the book itself is sweet.

will use in classroom

This is a very fun book. It is a fun way to introduce different coins for math AND a lesson about inclusiveness. Anti-bullying and creating friendships.

My daughter is 5 and seems to be struggling with the whole "clique" issue (already) *sigh*. We read this book together the other night and she was able to say "so and so is the quarter and so and so is the half dollar and I'm the penny" so it does make cents (ha ha) to even young children like her. The story is really cute and touches on all those social relationships; the ones we want to have, the ones we do have, the ones that could be but aren't for whatever reasons (maybe because they're too shy to talk to people outside their circle) and the new ones we make sometimes by accident sometimes by our own doing. Really great story - I'd highly recommend if your child is struggling with social relationships.

This book is an interesting way to open a discussion about cliques in a classroom. I have used it in a first grade class that has a clique issue; they got it on a first grade level. The counselor has used it in 2nd-4th grade classes and found it helpful.

I had to read it to my 6 year old. It is text heavy but the story is easy to follow and my daughter loved it!

Good message about self-'worth', comparing, being left out, etc. Worthwhile purchase. Clever use of coins to get message across. Stimulated some worthwhile questions and conversations connecting the story to kid's experiences with peers at school.