Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Author Information-

Annie Barrows:

http://anniebarrows.com/kids-home/

Interview with Annie Barrows:

http://anniebarrows.com/kids-home/the-best-of-iggy/interview-with-annie/

Illustrator Information-

Sam Ricks:

https://samricks.com/

Read, Write, Draw from Home (25:18):

Go to 13:46 to view the Sam Ricks portion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIewLlSyBKo&feature=emb_title

Activities & Resources:

Cooking

Dutch Baby Recipe:

https://www.marthastewart.com/333957/dutch-baby-pancake

Manners/Self Improvement

Table Manners (4:51):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdF5LAmhG2Y

Fun video braingames to improve your memory:

https://www.mentalup.co/brain-games

Safety

Skateboard Safety:

https://www.safekids.org/tip/skating-and-skateboarding-safety-tips

Trampoline Safety:

https://www.nationwide.com/lc/resources/home/articles/trampoline-safety

Perspective

Multiple Perspectives: Building Critical Thinking Skills:http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/multiple-perspectives-building-critical-30629.html?tab=4

What do you See?:

https://creducation.net/resources/perception_checking/What_Do_You_See_Activity_OCDRCM.pdf

Screen-Free Fun

Screen-Free Saturdays: Take the Challenge!

https://www.screenfree.org/saturdays/

Fun Without Electronics: 24 Screen Free Activities For Kids:

https://www.merakilane.com/fun-without-electronics-24-screen-free-activities-for-kids/

MakerSpace Activities:

Trampoline STEM Challenge:

http://stemactivitiesforkids.com/2015/10/21/stem-challenge-trampolines/

Trampolines can cause many injuries. Research trampoline safety and create a brochure to promote safety on trampolines.

Design your very own “World’s Greatest Desk”.

Create your own mini skateboard/fingerboard:

https://thinkplaycreate.org/blog/diy-mini-skateboard/

Design and create your own mini skate park.

Discussion Questions:

Iggy doesn’t have a computer in his room because his parents believe in “screen-free” kids. Why do you think his parents have this belief? Do you agree or disagree with his parents? Why or why not?

Iggy talks about how sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that you should consider before determining if someone is bad or good. Describe some examples of extenuating circumstances.

Why did Iggy lie to Jeremy and how did his lie backfire?

Jeremy called Iggy “Iggy the Piggy”. How did that make Iggy feel? Describe a time where you were made fun of. How did that make you feel?

On page 3 of the book, Iggy made a list of “THREE TYPES OF THINGS WE WISH WE HADN’T DONE”. Go back and read the list. Which category do you think the trampoline incident falls under? Backup your answer with details from the story.

Describe how Iggy’s version of the trampoline incident is different from what the parents saw.

Why do you think the parents didn’t believe Iggy’s account of the incident?

Are you more of an “Iggy” or a “Jeremy”? Support your answer with examples.

Describe the event that fell under “Item 2: The Things We Wish We Hadn’t Done Quite As Much We Did”. Tell about a time that you did something that fell under this category.

Diego was Iggy’s best friend since Kindergarten, but they were not allowed to be in the same class together. Tell about a friend that you liked but maybe didn’t always bring out the best in you.

Describe the event that fell under “Item 3: The Thing We Wish We Hadn’t Done”.

The “desk driving” incident is a perfect example of a plan that went totally wrong. Describe a plan that went totally wrong for you.

Do you think Iggy was truly sorry for hurting Ms. Schulberger? Why or why not?

It wasn’t revealed what Iggy’s punishment for hurting Ms. Schulberger was, only that it took a year. What punishment do you think would have been appropriate for his actions?

Iggy’s penchant for getting into trouble is quite obvious, but his good qualities are

downplayed. Describe some good qualities of Iggy and use supporting evidence from the text.

The author directly speaks to the reader of this book. This way of writing is not used very often, but can be very effective. Do you like how the author used this technique? Why or why not?

What songs does this book make you think of? Create a book group playlist together!

What other books did this remind you of? Why?

What do you think of the book’s title? How does it relate to the book’s contents? What other title might you choose?

The Best of Iggy is the first in a series of books featuring Iggy. Do you plan on reading other books in this series? Why or why not?

Book Talk Teasers:

The Best of Iggy Book Trailer (:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A126wP_OWlo

Read the Reader’s Theater (coming soon).

Read Alikes:

Pranksters & Troublemakers

Baker, Kimberly. Pickle. Using a bogus name, the League of Picklemakers, sixth-grader Ben and three recruits start a prank-pulling club and receive funding from their middle school's PTA. (NoveList Plus)

Barnett, Mac. The terrible two. When master prankster Miles Murphy moves to sleepy Yawnee Valley, he challenges the local, mystery prankster in an epic battle of tricks but soon the two join forces to pull off the biggest prank ever seen. (NoveList Plus)

Clements, Andrew. Troublemaker. When his older brother gets in serious trouble, sixth-grader Clay decides to change his own mischief-making ways, but he cannot seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker. (NoveList Plus)

Davies, Jacqueline. Nothing but trouble. Two smart girls in one small town use their combined genius to liven up their world--one prank at a time. (NoveList Plus)

Simon, Francesca. Horrid Henry. Horrid Henry is the worst -- he's always in trouble, and he seems even more badly behaved than he actually is in comparison with his brother, Perfect Peter. In the four short stories collected here, the mischievous Henry causes Peter all sorts of problems when he behaves properly for a change, upstages Peter at a dance recital, pretends to be a pirate, and goes on a camping trip. (NoveList Plus)

Tatulli, Mark. Desmond Pucket makes monster magic. Harboring an ambition to become a special-effects wizard, mischievous sixth-grader Desmond Pucket raises the ire of his school's disciplinary officer with endless pranks and is warned to cease all misbehavior or be banned from a highly anticipated class trip to an amusement park. (NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Barrows, Annie. The Best of Iggy. Putnam. 2020.

Booklist

The Best of Iggy. (Starred)

Barrows, Annie (author). Illus. by Sam Ricks.

Jan. 2020. 144p. Putnam, $13.99 (9781984813305). Grades 2-5.

REVIEW. First published November 15, 2019 (Booklist).

Meet Iggy, a mostly good fourth-grader who frequently gets in trouble. As the story opens, he’s confined to his bedroom because his parents have (from his point of view) misunderstood the extenuating circumstances that led him to threaten another boy and follow him up the ladder to the shed roof, from which the other boy, “screaming, ‘Hellllllp,’” leapt onto the trampoline below. The book’s narrator, who has nearly as large and colorful a presence here as Iggy, frames the story around people’s regrets for their actions. Using three examples involving Iggy, she differentiates between the things he wishes he hadn’t just gotten caught doing, things he wishes he hadn’t done quite so much, and things he really, really wishes he hadn’t done at all. Desk racing, which falls into the latter category, ended with Iggy injuring his favorite teacher, crying, and feeling bad whenever he remembered the incident. Writing with a droll sense of humor, Barrows ensures that kids will enjoy Iggy’s antics and perhaps even reflect a bit. Ricks’ expressive, zany, black-and-white illustrations capture chaos and amplify the fun. The first of a series, this slender chapter book is inviting to pick up, hard to put down, and near-impossible to read without laughing out loud. — Carolyn Phelan

Reprinted with Permission of Booklist https://www.booklistonline.com/

School Library Journal (December 1, 2019)

Gr 3-7-Iggy isn't a bad kid-he just lives by the motto "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time." He blames his friends, his parents, his teacher, but will he ever take responsibility for his actions? Scene transitions feel choppy, but the plot is amusing and Iggy is relatable-though mischievous, he's a good kid deep down. While character development is thin, the cast is engaging and grows on the reader. Funny, detailed illustrations complement the text well, though the font may be difficult to read for some. VERDICT Fans of Barrows's "Ivy + Bean" series and books about kids who often find themselves landing in trouble will appreciate this laugh-out-loud tale. For libraries where humorous realistic fiction is popular.-Kira Moody, Salt Lake County Library Services © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal, 2019. http://www.slj.com.