Module 15: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman

Full Citation

Pilkey, Dav. Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman: the Fifth Epic Novel. New York: Scholastic, 2001. Print.

Summary

Tra-la-la! In the first book in this series, lovable troublemakers George Beard and Harold Hutchins accidentally used a 3-D Hypno Ring to change their dour principal Mr. Krupp into comic hero Captain Underpants. Now, the boys have used the same rings on their heinous teacher Ms. Tara Ribble in order to change their grades back after their latest crime of using their imaginations led them to getting their grades changed from B's and C's to F's and G's. However, its seems the ring has an opposite effect on women, because when they tell her NOT to become the evil villainous Wedgie Woman, she does! It's up to George, Harold, and Captain Underpants to save the town from the "woothless wevenge" of the wicked Wedgie Woman and her robot minions... if the dreaded spray starch doesn't sideline Captain Underpants first!

My Impressions

Okay, seriously, how is this series one of the most challenged books of the last decade? Yes, there is lots of bathroom humor and a general attitude of disrespect for authority (albeit one that stifles anything resembling  creativity or free expression), but not every book for children can (or should be) Dick and Jane. I didn't really know much about the series other that it was controversial, so I paged through this book in my library's children's section and I almost thought I was going to create a disturbance by my roaring laughter! There is a lot of bathroom humor, to be sure, but there's also a lot of fourth-wall breaking, pop culture references (A rabbi asks George and Harold to stay out of trouble, and the two reply: "Silly rabbi, tricks are for kids!"), and lots of good-natured ribbing at the superhero genre. Illustrations on every page keep the action moving fast, including an entire chapter utilizing a clever "flip-book" effect. I would have no problem with any children of mine reading these books someday.

What Other Reviewers Said

In the fifth "epic novel" about the extraordinary Captain Underpants--"faster than a speeding waistband... more powerful than boxer shorts"--the formidable superhero is under siege by a terrifying new enemy, the merciless bionic-powered Wedgie Woman. Will Captain Underpants overcome his fear of spray starch in time to save the world from the evil schemes of Wedgie Woman? No one knows... except maybe George and Harold, the imaginative fourth-grade troublemakers (imagination is not allowed at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School), who are also the creative minds behind Captain Underpants and Wedgie Woman. You see, it all started (as it usually does) with a comic strip drawn and illustrated by the boys. When their mean teacher Miss Ribble gets her hands on the comic book, their troubles really begin. Fans who have been eagerly awaiting Book 5 in the series, preceded by such gems as Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space and Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, will heave a sigh of relief at the appearance of Pilkey's latest tongue-in-cheek superhero adventure novel. Goofier than ever, with plenty of boyish drawings and juvenile humor, this lightweight chapter book is the answer to reluctant (and avid) readers' dreams. If descriptions of Wedgie Woman's bionic hair and the "ubrupt" ending of the "happyness" on the planet of Underpantyworld don't turn grade-schoolers into bookworms, what will? By the way, don't let the quotation from Einstein at the front of the book mislead you; this is lowbrow humor at its very finest. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter (1)

Gr 2-5-Fans need not worry. Pilkey's imagination shows no sign of flagging here. When George and Harold's evil teacher announces her departure, she forces the class to write "Happy Retirement" cards for her. Instead, the two boys create a comic book in which they turn Ms. Ribble into the titular "Wicked Wedgie Woman." She sees the book, tells them that they are not allowed to use their imagination in school, and sends them posthaste to the principal. The two friends seize the opportunity to get him to sign a blank card to which they add his protestations of love for Ms. Ribble. Hilarious wedding high jinks ensue (but no marriage). To prevent the villainous woman from retaliating, the protagonists hypnotize her with their 3-D Hypno-Ring. Their plan backfires and a cosmic battle follows, complete with the familiar Flip-O-Rama feature. Among the highlights of this book is an alliterative post-wedding food fight in which, for example, the "creamy candied carrots clobbered the kindergarteners." There is a great deal of laugh-out-loud humor that will appeal to a wide audience. "Captain Underpants" is still one of the best series to get reluctant readers reading.- Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ (2)

 Suggested Activities

Have a special book discussion event for readers and their parents/caregivers where participants will promise to read Captain Underpants or another book from the ALA list above together. Encourage families to discuss what they liked and didn't like about the book in a rational and tolerant manner.

Other Citations

(1) Coulter, Emilie. Rev. of  "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman." Amazon.com Review. Amazon.com: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/26jzvat>.

(2) Wadham, Tim. Rev. of  "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman." School Library Journal. Amazon.com: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/26jzvat>.

Module 14: Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?

Full Citation

Glenn, Mel. Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?: a Mystery in Poems. New York: Lodestar, 1996. Print.

Summary

The murder of English teacher Robert Chippendale sends a shock wave through Tower High. As police detective Harry Balinger and Tower High guidance counselor Angela Falcone try to find the culprit, students and other faculty express their admiration (or lack thereof) for the late teacher. In the process, secrets from Mr. Chippnedale's and other's lives are revealed. And, oh yes, all this is done in free verse poetry. 

My Impressions
 
I had reservations about this one, because I had read a few novels written in free verse in high school. It seemed like most authors just used the format as an excuse to churn out a quick read with little or no real emotion. Not so with Mr. Glenn, who made a good career out of this. The mystery itself gets the short shrift, but in the process the readers get to see the pure and understandable emotions as the people in Mr. Chippendale's sphere of influence try to make sense of it all. I especially like how Glenn's revealing through verse of those students who came to the realization of how "Mr. C"'s encouragement made them take chances in life for greater things.

What Other Reviewers Said

A bored student glances out of the classroom window. There's Mr. Chippendale jogging around the track as he does most days before his English classes meet. Nothing new here, she thinks. Then Mr. C. becomes the victim of a sniper on the school grounds. The police descend; suspects are questioned; the school grieves its toss. At first glance, this may seem to be just another mystery in a market glutted by the likes of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. However, veterans of YA literature know to expect great things from Glenn. His latest novel breaks new ground as a mystery in poems. Glenn's familiar format from his previous volumes of high school poems (Class Dismissed, 1982, Class Dismissed II, 1986, Back to Class, 1988; My Friend's Got This Problem, Mr. Candler, 1991, Clarion, HS) is in evidence as readers learn how the various members of the school community react to the news of Mr. C.'s murder. A "novel" concept to be sure, this is a great read-aloud and should serve as a powerful model in writing class. More, please, Mr. Glenn! (1)

Mr. Chippendale, a high school teacher, has been murdered. It happened in the morning as he was running on the school track. Someone shot him in the head from the roof of the school building and he was killed instantly. There is now an investigation taking place at the high school to try to find out who it was that took this fatal shot. This story is told entirely in poems, from the poems at the beginning describing how Mr. Chippendale was feeling at the start of his morning run, to poems from the points of view of various students, faculty and people in the neighborhood. Some students though Mr. Chippendale was the best teacher they'd ever had. He made a real difference in the lives of some of his students, encouraging them to be better than they thought they could be, to try harder and set higher goals for themselves. Other students saw him as boring, a lousy teacher who made them feel bad about themselves and never helped them at all. Mr. Chippendale's fellow teachers didn't seem to know him much better than his students did. He and one of the guidance counselors had a brief relationship, but even she feels like they never really had a connection. What could Mr. Chippendale have done to drive someone to murder? I thought the poem aspect was really interesting. It allowed the thoughts of the students and others to wander around the story and their impressions of Mr. Chippendale instead of having to explain things in a linear way. There was much left unanswered, though. I never got a really good grasp on who Mr. Chippendale was, and the secret of who the killer was seemed like it should have been better set up. There should have been more clues pointing to that person. (2)

Suggested Activity

For older readers, this book would be perfect for a teen mystery night. Teen volunteers can take the parts of the different characters and read their parts aloud. The ending can even be withheld long enough for the audience to vote on what they think is the most likely solution. For an added touch, this event could be held in April for National Poetry Month.

Other Citations 

(1) Lesesne, Teri S., and G. Kylene Beers. "Book review." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 40.3 (1996): 232. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. 

(2) Luciano, A. "Murder Investigation." Amazon.com: A. Luciano's Review of Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?: A Mystery in ... 31 May 2007. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/28hq6f9>.