Blog Post #1: There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

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The book I'm reading is the book that we started in class, There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar. When we started on this book in class, it immediately grabbed my attention. My initial thought when I first heard the title is that it was going to be about boy transitioning to girl and their struggle at school. After reading this first week, I don’t think that’s what this story is about. The title actually refers to Jeff, one of the main characters, accidentally wonders into the girls’ bathroom. I haven’t been reading as much as I should be, so, I’m only like a quarter through the book. I’ve really enjoyed the councilor, Miss Davis, that was introduced in chapter four. I really like the way she interacts with Jeff and Bradley. She realizes that Jeff feels kind of lost and alone at this new school and she uses that to try to bond with him. Telling him that she’s new to the school too and isn’t friends with the other teachers yet. This makes Jeff feel a little better because he has someone to relate to. But I really enjoy how she interacts with Bradley. Bradley’s never wrong and likes to spin the conversation for where he is in “control”. Instead of starting an argument with him, Miss Davis just goes along with him. Bradley catches on to what she’s doing and thinks she’s trying to get him in trouble by letting him do what he wants. I think Miss Davis is actually a good character to learn from especially for education majors. The way she sees what’s bothering each student and changes her teaching methods is great. She’s not lumping all of her kids together into one box. So, I’m excited to continue and finish this book. I want to see more of Miss Davis’s methods and Jeff’s and Bradley’s development.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2019 at 5:33 PM

    Hi Keaton!

    I also thought the book was going to be about a transgender student. I wondered where that girl's bathroom business was going to come in. This book looked so interesting to me, I'd like to read it as well. It's interesting that even into a quarter of the book Bradley has yet to let his guard down. Even when talking with his new (and only real) friend and the counselor, he can't let anyone else be in control of the situation. Have you found out any more about his feelings on friends? Does he unwillingness to be friendly stem from his home life, a previous friendship that went wrong, or something completely different? Bradley seems like such a sensitive kid that wants to be liked by people, seeing as he treats his animals so well.

    Miss Davis seems like a good councilor, much better than Bradley's teacher. I felt really bad for him because it seems like his teacher wants to help him, but is also totally okay with embarrassing him in front of everyone. His parents also seem like they are not a good source of support, so it's good to know an adult is looking out for him finally. I bet all of them, Bradley, Miss Davis, and Jeff, will be good friends by the end of the book.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2019 at 11:32 AM

    I am glad to hear that someone decided to read this book! I was also intrigued by what Dr. K read to us in the classroom and I will likely add this book to my list. Your prediction of what the book would be about is interesting! You used prior knowledge of current scenarios to make a prediction of what the book would likely be about. I wonder if there are any books like that now for children to read.

    I enjoyed the idea of getting an insider view of a student who could be considered a bully. In reality, he was lacking certain parts of his life. He filled the void with being tough. Now I wonder where the boy in the girls' bathroom part comes up. How do the main characters come together? I'm looking forward to reading this later to answer some of my own questions.

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