Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

The Story

When six-year-old Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair, then trips on a skateboard, and then accidentally dries his wet face on his sweater rather than his towel, he can tell: it’s going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! In the following scene, the day gets progressively worse as his teacher doesn't like his drawing of an invisible castle, his lunchbox doesn't have any dessert, and his best friend Paul declares that Alexander is only his third best friend. It’s enough to make Alexander wish be could move to Australia! After school, the dentist finds a cavity in Alexander’s
tooth, the shoe store is out of the shoes he wants, and he makes a big mess at his father’s office. It really has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, but Alexander learns that some days are like that. Even in Australia.

Pre-reading Questions

1. Have you ever had a really bad day? What happened that day? How did it feel? Is there anything you could have done to avoid the bad day? What did you do to feel better?

2. Can you tell when other people are having a bad day? How? Brainstorm some things you can do to help other  people when they are having a bad day.

3. Alexander’s friends are not always nice to him – they tell Alexander they don’t want to play with him and they leave him out when they are playing games. Why isn’t this the way friends should treat each other? How should good friends treat one another?

Reading Activities 

1. For Junior K2 to P2
2. For P3 to P6
3. Discussion question
4. Writing 
5. Advance writing:
    a. Story Re-write using Opposites
    b. Letter to Alexander
        • What do you want to say to Alexander? Offer him sympathy for his bad day? Tell him about your own terrible day?
        • What advice would you give Alexander on how to have a better day?

Extensions 

The Wrong Start, by Marchette Chute 

I got up this morning and meant to be good,

But things didn’t happen the way that they should.

      I lost my toothbrush,

             I slammed the door,

      I dropped an egg

             On the kitchen floor,

      I spilled some sugar

             And after that

      I tried to hurry

             And tripped on the cat.

Things may get better.  I don’t know when.

I think I’ll go back and start over again.

Resources