(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. This paper-over-board compilation includes the first three titles about the self-possessed, quirky second grader: Gooney Bird Greene (2002), Gooney Bird and the Room Mother (2005), and Gooney the Fabulous (2007). Each chapter includes one unremarkable black-and-white illustration.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. In her sixth book, bossy but good-natured Gooney Bird Greene livens up the class human body unit with a real skeleton, on loan from her great-uncle, Dr. Oglethorpe. A parent's objection brings tension to the plot laden with amusingly precocious observations of second graders; ultimately, Gooney's charm bracelet helps the kids present their new anatomy knowledge. Simple line drawings illustrate the chapters.

Reviewer: Julie Roach

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. February break is on everyone's mind in Gooney Bird Greene's class, and conversation constantly turns to three students' vacation destinations. In this fifth book in the series, Lowry deals with the ticklish classroom issue of students gloating about vacations. She handles it well, helping readers to reflect on the competitive chatter that often strains the fabric of a class right before holidays.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. Mrs. Pidgeon directs Gooney Bird's class to write couplets, haiku, limericks, etc. After the death of Mrs. Pidgeon's mother (herself a poet), the class--helmed by Gooney Bird--comes up with just the right way to express its grief. Lowry gracefully addresses a difficult issue. Thomas's illustrations help new readers see the final "poem" and imagine Mrs. Pidgeon's reaction to her students' heartfelt offering.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. Outspoken and quirky Gooney Bird Greene is lucky to have an adaptable and good-humored teacher who's open to Gooney's suggestion for a class project: writing and presenting fables. As the class--a collection of types (shy, squeamish, antsy)--learns about fables, so, too, do readers. Each chapter includes one black-and-white drawing.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. Mrs. Pidgeon promises the lead role in the second-grade Thanksgiving play to the student who can find a room mother for their classroom. Gooney Bird Greene announces that she has found a room mother, although her surprising identity is not revealed until the day of the play. This second, gently humorous story about the idiosyncratic Gooney Bird is illustrated with so-so black-and-white drawings.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Middy Thomas. Gooney Bird Green, a self-possessed second grader, captivates her new classmates with "absolutely true" tales of how she acquired her unusual name, traveled on a flying carpet, and directed a symphony orchestra. Though somewhat overdrawn as a character, Gooney Bird is a fine storyteller, and her message to her classmates--that they, too, have stories to share--is a good one. The text is accompanied by banal illustrations.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002