Gooney Bird Greene

Gooney Bird Greene (2002) is the first of a series of children's novels by Lois Lowry concerning the storytelling abilities of a second-grade girl. It was illustrated by Middy Thomas.

Plot
The story is set in Watertower Elementary School, where Gooney Bird becomes the new student in Mrs. Pidgeon's class.

Gooney Bird quickly captures the attention of her classmates and teacher with her unique fashion sense and her knack for telling captivating stories. She arrives in the classroom wearing eccentric outfits, such as pajamas and a tutu, and insists on being the center of attention.

Throughout the book, Gooney Bird tells a series of intriguing and seemingly outrageous stories about her life. Each story she tells has a surprising twist that keeps her classmates eager to hear more. For example, she recounts tales of how she came to live in Watertower by way of China on a flying carpet and how she once directed a symphony orchestra. While her stories initially seem unbelievable, they all turn out to be true in unexpected ways.

As Gooney Bird shares her adventures, she teaches her classmates the art of storytelling, emphasizing the importance of detail, suspense, and creativity. Her stories help her classmates learn to appreciate the joy of storytelling and the power of imagination.

"Gooney Bird Greene" is a charming and humorous book that celebrates individuality, creativity, and the joy of storytelling. It is the first in a series of books about Gooney Bird, each filled with her imaginative tales and the lessons they bring.

Reception
Reviews of Gooney Bird Greene were generally positive. Though Publishers Weekly viewed Gooney Bird's precocious storytelling skills with some skepticism, it wrote that her eccentric behavior and stories were entertaining, particularly to child readers. Kirkus Reviews praised the book's illustration and design choices, and described the titular second-grader's tales as "clever", noting that the book was a good instrument for teaching writing and storytelling.