Cody and Quinn, Sitting in a Tree - Hardcover

Larson, Kirby

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 082341227X ISBN 13: 9780823412273

Publisher: Holiday House, 1996

Synopsis

Enjoying his friendship with Quinn, who builds the best forts in town even though she is a girl, Cody is embarrassed when a local bully accuses him of being in love with Quinn, a situation that nearly results in the end of their friendship.

About this title

From the Author:

A little bit about the story from the author
One thing I am an expert on is teasing! I grew up with a dad who teased me constantly (this was nice teasing). But I also got teased a lot by other kids when I grew up (the not nice kind of teasing). One reason was that our family moved a lot -- I went to six grade schools, two junior highs and two high schools! This was in a time when people didn't move around as much as they do now. So, every year I was the new kid. I wore these funny glasses which made me look goofy and I had a name that just begged to be made fun of -- Kirby Miltenberger. Do you think I got teased? You bet I did! And that teasing didn't feel very good at all.

The good thing about all that teasing is that when I began to write about Cody and how Royce picked on him unmercilessly, I remembered how it felt to be teased and I could give those feelings to Cody to make the story seem more real.

I don't know what I'd do without my daughter -- she has given me the ideas for both my chapter books! (Check out Second Grade Pig Pals) When she was in grade school, she was good friends with a boy named Jess. Some kids thought it was goofy that a boy and a girl could be just friends and sometimes the two of them got teased, just like Cody in the story. I used to tell them to try to ignore the teasing, but they said that was impossible sometimes. So I began to think about how kids can handle bullies who tease. Using my handy dandy favorite question, "what if?", I soon had Cody and Quinn, Sitting in a Tree.

The principal in the story, Mrs. Moore, is based on Quinn's favorite principal, Mrs. Lesser. Can you figure out the game I played with the names? Mrs. Lesser actually did cut off a girl's pigtail one time when she was in grade school! So,when you're feeling low, remember that not even principals are perfect!

I hope you enjoy reading Cody and Quinn, Sitting in a Tree.

Your friend,

Kirby Larson

From the Inside Flap:

nn are the best of friends. It's no big deal to Cody that Quinn is a girl. But it's a big deal to Royce, the class bully who likes to sing "Cody and Quinn, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Cody loses his temper and gets angry at Quinn. Now his best friend won't talk to him. How can Cody make up with Quinn and solve his problem with Royce?

About this edition

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 082341227X
• ISBN 13: 9780823412273
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Poydar Nancy