Carnetul de note

Nora Rose Rowley hides her genius from those around her. Now in fifth grade, she wants to keep fitting in. But she has grown tired of the focus on tests and grades. She sets out to earn low marks on purpose. Her aim is to show how pressure to excel and compete can harm children. Instead, her plan draws attention and exposes her secret. That discovery brings new problems.

Andrew Clements's school story for young readers explores what grades mean. It asks whether children alone bear the blame for poor marks. Nora's protest puts the drive for high scores at odds with children's needs.