How to break a world record and survive grade five by Carla Fitzgerald
How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade 5 by Carla Fitzgerald is a heart-warming and humorous story that captures the trials and tribulations of an eleven-year-old with big dreams and even bigger challenges.
The protagonist, Sam, is fascinated with world records and is determined to set one himself. When given a school project, to talk about your proudest moment, he feels even more overshadowed by those around him and becomes obsessed with having a standout moment of his own. Feeling that he doesn’t have anything worthy to get a good mark or be ridiculed by his class peers about, Sam becomes obsessed with setting a world record.
His fixation takes over and he loses all perspective on everything that he is already doing in life. With his mum stretched thin working two jobs to keep the household running, his sister to keep an eye on, a fridge that doesn’t keep things cold and a grumpy old neighbour, Sam endeavours to still keep the world record at the top of his priorities.
But when he is eventually forbidden to continue his record attempts, after a particularly wasteful challenge, and he has already lost his only friendship, Sam is left devastated. Determined to make things right, and still win the awards that he dreams of, Sam sets out with a new plan. But is a world record what will make him the proudest, or are there other things that mean so much more?
Fitzgerald writes another amusing yet thought provoking story to beautifully highlight themes of self-acceptance, family bonds, and the importance of looking beyond accolades to find true worth. The narrative is not only relatable for young readers but also imparts valuable life lessons about resilience, the power of perspective and most of all thoughtfulness.
How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade 5 is a touching and insightful read, perfect for middle-grade readers who enjoy relatable characters and a little humour. This would also make a great read aloud for primary years classes.
Themes: World Records, Resilience, Family, Friendship, Problem solving, Creativity.
Michelle O'Connell