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Twitch the Squirrel #1
8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos
Twitch, the school yard squirrel, has really gotten himself into a bind this time. While trying to escape from a hungry owl, he roused Cuddles, the principal's dog, and got chased into the school. Now he's locked in for a disastrous and hilarious night. Can Green Eggs and Hamster, Sweetie the Library rat, and the other school pets save Twitch from the crazed Cuddles? In this laugh-out-loud funny chapter book, a group of small animals manage to turn an elementary school into a real zoo.
75 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
61 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Vande Velde
52Ìýbooks989ÌýfollowersVivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
October 19, 2023
So creative.
March 25, 2017
This is a cute and funny story. It's short, so I could see reading it with a low/medium group toward the beginning of a school year. I love how each chapter was in a different pet's voice. I could see doing some writing extensions with the poetry parrot chapter. There's also a great opportunity for read aloud expression instruction with the snake chapter, and the reader's theater style gecko chapter.
November 2, 2015
THIS BOOK IS UTTER CHAOS!!! Would you think that a squirrel being chased by a dog in a school being helped by 8 class pets is normal!?!? NOT TODAY!!!!
March 27, 2020
I had no idea I would enjoy this as much as I did. Very cute, fast paced and even a science lesson throughout. I was so caught up in it that it felt like a miniseries lol.
August 18, 2023
I love this book- it’s so funny & creative 😊 But i did knock it a star bc I dislike name calling & there are a few of those, especially between the squirrel & dog 💜
July 25, 2020
So much fun for an early primary read aloud!
December 19, 2016
This creative chapter book, told from the points of view of several animals, tells what happens when both a squirrel and a dog get locked inside an elementary school after all the kids have gone home. Beginning with the squirrel, the narrative cycles through each animal's point of view, including a chapter devoted to each of 8 class pets living in the building. Excitement mounts as the dog and squirrel make their way around the school, visiting each classroom and creating the chaos promised by the title.
My favorite thing about this book is the way the author gets inside the psyche of each class pet. The hamster, rabbit, rat, fish, parrot, turtle, snake, and geckos all have distinct voices which differentiate their personalities and complement their unique animal behaviors. I also really liked the relay race type of structure, where each animal narrates a small piece of the action, then passes the focus to the next animal, who tells what he or she witnesses, before passing it on to another one.
Like The Case of the Library Monster, this book taps into that sense of mystery kids associate with a closed and vacant school building, and combines it with their fascination with animals and their behavior. The book is also really high-energy, with lots of action and lots of opportunities to laugh out loud. It's one of those titles that can easily appeal to boys and girls, and would make a wonderful addition to a classroom library, especially if that class also has a pet.
I think it can be difficult to deviate from the usual chapter book formula without also sacrificing the language or readability of the text, but this book pulls it off. The story is well-structured and well-plotted, and will undoubtedly please those chapter book readers looking for funny animal stories.
My favorite thing about this book is the way the author gets inside the psyche of each class pet. The hamster, rabbit, rat, fish, parrot, turtle, snake, and geckos all have distinct voices which differentiate their personalities and complement their unique animal behaviors. I also really liked the relay race type of structure, where each animal narrates a small piece of the action, then passes the focus to the next animal, who tells what he or she witnesses, before passing it on to another one.
Like The Case of the Library Monster, this book taps into that sense of mystery kids associate with a closed and vacant school building, and combines it with their fascination with animals and their behavior. The book is also really high-energy, with lots of action and lots of opportunities to laugh out loud. It's one of those titles that can easily appeal to boys and girls, and would make a wonderful addition to a classroom library, especially if that class also has a pet.
I think it can be difficult to deviate from the usual chapter book formula without also sacrificing the language or readability of the text, but this book pulls it off. The story is well-structured and well-plotted, and will undoubtedly please those chapter book readers looking for funny animal stories.
June 30, 2015
Cute kid book and Maud Hart Lovelace 2015 nominee. About the eight class pets at an elementary school and their involvement in a dog-squirrel chase. It is funny and clever and would be a great way to introduce personification. I would also use this to teach voice. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different class pet and it's great. Would make a quick, fun read aloud with plenty of teachable moments.
June 22, 2024
LOVE love LOVE this book. Have read it aloud MANY many times and it is such a favorite.
PS whenever we are having a hard day...we pull out this book and re-read it. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! No matter how old my kiddos get, even when I am old and gray, I hope we read this again and again and again!
PS whenever we are having a hard day...we pull out this book and re-read it. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! No matter how old my kiddos get, even when I am old and gray, I hope we read this again and again and again!
June 13, 2012
I think it was hilarious. I hope I read it again.
February 21, 2015
Entertained all three of my kids as a read aloud: a rare find. Fun alternating voices in each chapter. They thought it was hilarious.
August 8, 2017
Read this aloud to my 7 and 5 year old. We finished it, but it was a chore. We homeschool, so there may be some charm was lost on us, but that cannot account for all that is lacking.
Each chapter is the first person perspective of a different animal. I should have committed to better voices, but I didn't have any familiarity beforehand to draw inspiration. And the premise falls so flat I wouldn't give it a second time through.
Here's the formula. A squirrel is being chased by a dog through an elementary school. The pursuit involves multiple classrooms each having a class pet. The scene is described by the class pet and advice on how the squirrel would best escape the dog is given in accordance with the nature of the animal. Rinse. Repeat. For a total of 8 classrooms.
It's hard to feel a connection to any of the animals, including the squirrel who is really minimally more important than any of the other characters. There are 68 pages divided into 11 chapters. The squirrel gets two chapters. The dog gets one. The reader knows what's going on, yet each chapter feels the need to explain what we already know, a squirrel and a dog come into the room. Boring.
It was an easy read in terms of length, so we committed to finishing it, hoping it would turn around. The only part that made it worthwhile was the use of the sibilant S in the snake chapter. Otherwise, it's a book I wouldn't recommend.
Thanks to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, at the end of each book my kids know that we're going to give the number of stars. We hide our fingers and reveal simultaneously. We all gave 2.
Each chapter is the first person perspective of a different animal. I should have committed to better voices, but I didn't have any familiarity beforehand to draw inspiration. And the premise falls so flat I wouldn't give it a second time through.
Here's the formula. A squirrel is being chased by a dog through an elementary school. The pursuit involves multiple classrooms each having a class pet. The scene is described by the class pet and advice on how the squirrel would best escape the dog is given in accordance with the nature of the animal. Rinse. Repeat. For a total of 8 classrooms.
It's hard to feel a connection to any of the animals, including the squirrel who is really minimally more important than any of the other characters. There are 68 pages divided into 11 chapters. The squirrel gets two chapters. The dog gets one. The reader knows what's going on, yet each chapter feels the need to explain what we already know, a squirrel and a dog come into the room. Boring.
It was an easy read in terms of length, so we committed to finishing it, hoping it would turn around. The only part that made it worthwhile was the use of the sibilant S in the snake chapter. Otherwise, it's a book I wouldn't recommend.
Thanks to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, at the end of each book my kids know that we're going to give the number of stars. We hide our fingers and reveal simultaneously. We all gave 2.
May 27, 2017
First sentence: Being a squirrel is the best thing in the world.
Premise/plot: One day a squirrel named Twitch ends up INSIDE the school. How? Why? Well, Twitch was seeking to outrun an OWL and a dog. Twitch had until then only been acquainted with the school pets through the windows. Now, he finds himself in need of a lot of FRIENDS and ADVICE. Why? Well, the dog--the principal's dog--follows him INSIDE as well. (The owl doesn't!!!) Soon, both are trapped by the closed doors. The dog remains in pursuit of the squirrel; the squirrel has to be quick, quick, quick. The end result is a LOT of laughs. Each chapter is narrated by a different animal.
My thoughts: This one was so much fun. I didn't expect it to be so FUNNY and enjoyable. I think the alternating narrators makes this one even better than it could have been. Almost every chapter has something worth quoting--worth sharing--to draw in reluctant readers. I think this would be a great read-aloud in the classroom.
For example,
Premise/plot: One day a squirrel named Twitch ends up INSIDE the school. How? Why? Well, Twitch was seeking to outrun an OWL and a dog. Twitch had until then only been acquainted with the school pets through the windows. Now, he finds himself in need of a lot of FRIENDS and ADVICE. Why? Well, the dog--the principal's dog--follows him INSIDE as well. (The owl doesn't!!!) Soon, both are trapped by the closed doors. The dog remains in pursuit of the squirrel; the squirrel has to be quick, quick, quick. The end result is a LOT of laughs. Each chapter is narrated by a different animal.
My thoughts: This one was so much fun. I didn't expect it to be so FUNNY and enjoyable. I think the alternating narrators makes this one even better than it could have been. Almost every chapter has something worth quoting--worth sharing--to draw in reluctant readers. I think this would be a great read-aloud in the classroom.
For example,
A squirrel mother teaches her young all they need to know by the end of summer, but human children spend five years in School. Five years is long enough for a squirrel to grow very, very old, so it's a good thing we're faster learners. And the humans aren't even truly finished in five years!
Ms. Walters never talks about being in first grade, so I think she may have skipped first grade, too. But she does talk about last year's second grade class. I'm smart enough to know that means Ms. Walters was kept back. But I am polite enough not to mention it.
August 7, 2024
Very quick read...and not much to talk about. I had hoped it would be a lot more witty or engaging than it actually was, but in my opinion it was really lacking in most areas. The humor often (though not always) felt forced and there was basically no plot. I will give it a little credit for having interesting POVs for each chapter: different classroom pets with their own way of expressing their thoughts. We have loved Humphrey the Hamster books, and I was hoping it'd be something along those lines but with a bigger emphasis on humor. The whole book is really just one 10 minute scene of an animal chase through the school, with each animal adding their own minor assistance or opinion on the situation and a cliche ending. There is no story to speak of. Think of a slapstick-y annoying cartoon short - the uninspiring and frenetic kind rampant on any kids programming today, then turn that into a book. The audience is clearly meant to be on the younger side, but I feel like kids deserve a book that has substance (even silly books can have substance). I have already typed too many sentences for this review - this just isn't it.
PS I feel particularly disappointed because I remember reading a short-ish teen novel by this author way back in high school and loving it.
PS I feel particularly disappointed because I remember reading a short-ish teen novel by this author way back in high school and loving it.
July 28, 2023
I enjoyed this story with all of the pets characters within. The main pets characters was Twitch and the dog.
Twitch is a squirrel that live near a elementary school. While exploring one day he forgot to make sure to notice the time of day. Because he didn't keep track of time it got later in the day where animals that came out at night start to showing.Ìý All of a sudden an owl was over head of him and start to chase him. While trying to get away he lands on a dog's nose and that dog gets mad at him. Now he has a dog and owl after him where to go. He see that the elementary school is open and decides to go there. While he got away from the owl he didn't get away from the dog. So now he got to find a place to hide quickly before the dog finds him.
This was a fun story to read. It had action and adventure throughout. It had quite a few giggles within.Ìý There was even a twist in the story that surprised me and my children.
I saw this book at my local library and decided to try it. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
Twitch is a squirrel that live near a elementary school. While exploring one day he forgot to make sure to notice the time of day. Because he didn't keep track of time it got later in the day where animals that came out at night start to showing.Ìý All of a sudden an owl was over head of him and start to chase him. While trying to get away he lands on a dog's nose and that dog gets mad at him. Now he has a dog and owl after him where to go. He see that the elementary school is open and decides to go there. While he got away from the owl he didn't get away from the dog. So now he got to find a place to hide quickly before the dog finds him.
This was a fun story to read. It had action and adventure throughout. It had quite a few giggles within.Ìý There was even a twist in the story that surprised me and my children.
I saw this book at my local library and decided to try it. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
June 20, 2022
So much fun and a definite book club contender! Twitch the squirrel is being chased by an owl and runs into the open door of the school to get away. The dog chases him inside and chaos ensues as Twitch enlists the help of all the classroom pets to help him escape! Turns out they all already know him from seeing him looking in the windows of the school. So they all help him. There are pen and ink drawings on every/every other page that are very cute and add to the story.
My young 2nd/3rd grade book club kids will breeze through the chapters but will also think this is laugh-out-loud hilarious. They will love the chaos, how the animals work together and that the artist likes the mess.
My young 2nd/3rd grade book club kids will breeze through the chapters but will also think this is laugh-out-loud hilarious. They will love the chaos, how the animals work together and that the artist likes the mess.
December 16, 2018
Reading level: 4.4
Summary: Story told from the point of view of classroom pets, each chapter is a different animal telling their story in a fun, humorous way.
Characteristics that support the genre: Told from the point of view and in the voices of the classroom pets.
Writing traits:
Voice: The animals are given human qualities and voices.
Organization: This book is 68 pages and organized into chapters with small black and white sketches throughout.
Classroom Integration: This book could be read by students looking for a fun, animal story to read.
Summary: Story told from the point of view of classroom pets, each chapter is a different animal telling their story in a fun, humorous way.
Characteristics that support the genre: Told from the point of view and in the voices of the classroom pets.
Writing traits:
Voice: The animals are given human qualities and voices.
Organization: This book is 68 pages and organized into chapters with small black and white sketches throughout.
Classroom Integration: This book could be read by students looking for a fun, animal story to read.
September 16, 2020
This is a rollicking fun chapter book of 11 chapters as follows:
Twitch (school-yard squirrel);
Green Eggs and Hamster (first-grade hamster);
Miss Lucy Cottontail (second-grade rabbit);
Sweetie (library rat);
A School of Neon Tetras (third-grade fish);
Lenore (fourth-grade parrot);
Nancy (art room turtle);
Angel (fifth-grade corn snake);
Galileo and Newton (science lab geckos);
Cuddles (the principal's dog);
Twitch (school-yard squirrel).
Twitch gets locked in the school after hours with Cuddles on the chase. Chaos ensues!
Twitch (school-yard squirrel);
Green Eggs and Hamster (first-grade hamster);
Miss Lucy Cottontail (second-grade rabbit);
Sweetie (library rat);
A School of Neon Tetras (third-grade fish);
Lenore (fourth-grade parrot);
Nancy (art room turtle);
Angel (fifth-grade corn snake);
Galileo and Newton (science lab geckos);
Cuddles (the principal's dog);
Twitch (school-yard squirrel).
Twitch gets locked in the school after hours with Cuddles on the chase. Chaos ensues!
March 19, 2020
I didn't like this book at all. I chose it because it was well-reviewed as "hilarious" on a book list of funny read-alouds. We trudged through the first few chapters, with me thinking, "it will get funny any minute now..." but it never did. We never laughed, and it bored me even while I was reading it. I only finished it because it was short and I kept waiting for some sort of fantastic, unbelievable ending. But it just... ended.
September 4, 2020
Twitch, the school yard squirrel, has really gotten himself into a bind this time. While trying to escape from a hungry owl, he roused the principal's dog and got chased into the school. Now he's locked in for a dangerous and disastrous night. Can Green Eggs and Hamster, Sweetie the library rat, and the other school pets save Twitch from the crazed dog, Cuddles? In this uproarious chapter book, a group of small animals manages to turn an elementary school into a real zoo.
March 20, 2017
A crazy, mixed-up mess of a story when Twitch, the squirrel infuriates, Cuddles, the dog and mayhem erupts in the school. All the class pets, snake, fish, gecko, rabbit, hamster get into the act. Of course, the place is a mess, especially with all the paint on the floor.
Yet, a mess is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe it was just the best thing to happen...to any dog or squirrel.
Yet, a mess is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe it was just the best thing to happen...to any dog or squirrel.
June 22, 2018
Hilarious adventure of a squirrel being chased by a dog who inadvertently enters a school filled with class pets. We loved the different characters, as each chapter was told from the point of view of a different class pet. The geckos, Galileo and Newton left my 7 year old breathless from laughing. Fast paced, fun read full of crazy antics, just perfect for the emerging reader.
November 19, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable for all ages. Folks still reading to their slightly older children for the snuggle factor and brain boost for the younglings will enjoy the mayhem, and appreciate the author's perfect introduction of the wonderful literary device, unreliable narrators.
That rabbit really is one brainy bunny.
That rabbit really is one brainy bunny.
February 5, 2023
This book was chosen as our One Family, One Book initiative at the school where I work. The kids all read it with their families & I read it with my 2 sons. The characters are easily likable & the illustrations really bring this book to life. There’s a short preview of the next book in the series in the back of this book.
May 15, 2023
I checked this out to read to my 5-year-old granddaughter. She had a hard time getting into it until several chapters in. I finished reading it with my 12-year-old grandson, and we laughed so hard! We're definitely reading the rest of the series!
And it's his job to finish reading this one to his sister.
And it's his job to finish reading this one to his sister.
July 19, 2017
I was disappointed because this book had a lot of potential. It was so stagnant and predictable we didn't even finish it. After meeting the corn snake we said goodbye to this book. The characters lacked any memorable qualities and were really just annoying in large part.
September 9, 2018
I feel like more people should read this book.I thought it was funny but a bit repetitive.Steve Björkman's illustrations are really cute.It is a very simple story for a grade 5 like me but I still enjoyed it.
April 2, 2020
This was a read aloud for our family (kindergartner and third grader) and we all loved it! Funny and great descriptions -- nice topics for discussion as well as some discussion of vocabulary and science facts!
April 1, 2023
I read this to my 4th class over 2 days. They told me what they thought a snake or a rabbit would sound like and so I voiced the characters accordingly. Fun and quick but I was disappointed at the ending and wished it ended differently.
July 3, 2023
No setting specified. 75 pp. Energetic and humorous first book of the Twitch the Squirrel series. Fun illustrations and wonderful narration from each animal providing their points of view on how The Chaos happened.
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