Big Nate Makes the Grade: Reading Level, Summary & Review

Well, let me tell ya ’bout this “Big Nate Makes the Grade” thing. It’s a book, ya see, about this kid named Nate. He’s in sixth grade, just like my grandkid Billy was ‘fore he went off to that fancy high school.

Nate ain’t no goody-two-shoes, that’s for sure. He’s always gettin’ into some kinda trouble at school, P.S. 38 they call it. Always messin’ around, you know? But deep down, he’s a good kid, just like most of them youngsters are, even if they don’t always show it. This fella, Lincoln Peirce, he wrote the book and drew the pictures too. Smart fella, I guess, makin’ books for kids.

Now, this Nate, he’s got a girlfriend, a whole bunch of ’em accordin’ to the book, but this one, Daphne, she’s his girl now. They got things in common, ya know? Like them cheesy doodle things, the ones that leave orange stuff all over your fingers. And they both hate them figure skatin’ shows on TV, all them twirlin’ and spinnin’, makes ya dizzy just lookin’ at it. And egg salad, Lord, I can’t stand that stuff neither, all slimy and mushy.

• Nate’s in sixth grade
• He goes to P.S. 38
• Daphne is his girlfriend
• They both like Cheez Doodles

They say this book is for kids nine and older, but heck, my Billy started readin’ chapter books when he was eight. Said it was easy, and he was always laughin’ at them pictures. They say it’s a Level 3.3, whatever that means. Sounded fancy to me. They even got these computer books now, e-books they call ’em, you can read ’em on your phone or your computer. Imagine that! When I was a girl, we had them thick ol’ books with the hard covers.

Nate, he calls himself a genius, but I reckon he’s just a regular kid with a big imagination. He’s always havin’ adventures, gettin’ into scrapes and findin’ his way out of ’em. Some folks say there’s stuff in there that ain’t proper for kids, somethin’ ’bout naked pictures, but I ain’t seen it myself. Kids these days, they hear and see all sorts of things, more than we ever did, that’s for sure.

The book’s funny, that’s what Billy told me. He’d read me bits and pieces, laughin’ his head off. Said Nate was just like him, always gettin’ into trouble but meanin’ well. I guess that’s what makes it a good book, if it makes a kid laugh and wanna keep readin’. Keeps ’em outta trouble, too, for a little while at least.

So, if you got a young’un lookin’ for somethin’ to read, this “Big Nate” might be just the ticket. It’s funny, it’s got pictures, and it’s ’bout a kid just bein’ a kid. Nothin’ wrong with that, I reckon. Just keep an eye on ’em, make sure they ain’t readin’ nothin’ they shouldn’t be. Kids these days, they grow up too fast.

Anyways, that’s all I got to say ‘bout it. It’s a book ‘bout a kid in school, nothin’ too fancy, but good enough for a laugh or two.

Tags：[Big Nate, Lincoln Peirce, children’s books, sixth grade, funny books, comic strips, P.S. 38, Daphne, reading level, e-books]