# The Best School Year Ever

**Author:** Barbara Robinson
**Grade range:** Grades 3–6
**Age range:** 8–12
**First published:** 2011
**Genre:** Humor
**ISBN-13:** `9780062089953`
**ISBN-10:** `0062089951`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/the-best-school-year-ever
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

The outrageous Herdman kids return when the class is assigned to find one good quality in each of them — easier said than done. (Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winner.)

## Themes

- humor
- family
- school

## Where this book is assigned

### Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · Arkansas — [source: Arkansas State Library / Arkansas Literacy Association — Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; annual since 1971)](https://library.arkansas.gov/programs/book-awards/charlie-may-simon-book-award/)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · Arkansas — [source: Arkansas State Library / Arkansas Literacy Association — Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; annual since 1971)](https://library.arkansas.gov/programs/book-awards/charlie-may-simon-book-award/)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Arkansas — [source: Arkansas State Library / Arkansas Literacy Association — Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; annual since 1971)](https://library.arkansas.gov/programs/book-awards/charlie-may-simon-book-award/)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Arkansas — [source: Arkansas State Library / Arkansas Literacy Association — Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; annual since 1971)](https://library.arkansas.gov/programs/book-awards/charlie-may-simon-book-award/)

### Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA)

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · Iowa — [source: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997](https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/5606-iowa-children-s-choice-award)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · Iowa — [source: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997](https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/5606-iowa-children-s-choice-award)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Iowa — [source: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997](https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/5606-iowa-children-s-choice-award)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Iowa — [source: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997](https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/5606-iowa-children-s-choice-award)

### Nebraska Golden Sower Award

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower)

### Nēnē Award (Hawai'i)

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)

### North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · North Dakota — [source: North Dakota Library Association — Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (student-choice; annual since 1978; Juvenile/Chapter + Intermediate + Older-Reader divisions); winner roll 1978-2025](https://ndla.info/Flicker-Tale-Past-Winners)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · North Dakota — [source: North Dakota Library Association — Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (student-choice; annual since 1978; Juvenile/Chapter + Intermediate + Older-Reader divisions); winner roll 1978-2025](https://ndla.info/Flicker-Tale-Past-Winners)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · North Dakota — [source: North Dakota Library Association — Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (student-choice; annual since 1978; Juvenile/Chapter + Intermediate + Older-Reader divisions); winner roll 1978-2025](https://ndla.info/Flicker-Tale-Past-Winners)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · North Dakota — [source: North Dakota Library Association — Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (student-choice; annual since 1978; Juvenile/Chapter + Intermediate + Older-Reader divisions); winner roll 1978-2025](https://ndla.info/Flicker-Tale-Past-Winners)

### Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award

- **recommended** · 4th grade · Illinois — [source: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)](https://www.rebeccacaudill.org/past-awards/past-winners-list)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Illinois — [source: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)](https://www.rebeccacaudill.org/past-awards/past-winners-list)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Illinois — [source: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)](https://www.rebeccacaudill.org/past-awards/past-winners-list)

### Volunteer State Book Award

- **recommended** · 3rd grade · Tennessee — [source: Tennessee Library Association — Volunteer State Book Award, Intermediate (gr 4-6) + Middle School (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1979); past-winners roll](https://sites.google.com/view/volunteer-state-book-award/past-winners)
- **recommended** · 4th grade · Tennessee — [source: Tennessee Library Association — Volunteer State Book Award, Intermediate (gr 4-6) + Middle School (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1979); past-winners roll](https://sites.google.com/view/volunteer-state-book-award/past-winners)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Tennessee — [source: Tennessee Library Association — Volunteer State Book Award, Intermediate (gr 4-6) + Middle School (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1979); past-winners roll](https://sites.google.com/view/volunteer-state-book-award/past-winners)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Tennessee — [source: Tennessee Library Association — Volunteer State Book Award, Intermediate (gr 4-6) + Middle School (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1979); past-winners roll](https://sites.google.com/view/volunteer-state-book-award/past-winners)

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