The School Story

Andrew Clements’s The School Story is a 2001 middle grade fiction novel about two sixth-grade girls who set out to get a book published. The School Story is Andrew Clements’s fourth full-length novel. Prior to writing novels, Clements worked extensively on picture books, and his familiarity with the publishing industry allowed him to create a realistic yet fantastical story about two children trying to navigate it. The School Story explores themes of loss, honesty, and perseverance. The novel was awarded the California Young Reader Medal in 2004. This study guide is based on the 2002 First Atheneum Books for Young Readers paperback edition of the book.

Plot Summary

Natalie Nelson is a sixth grader who loves to write. She has written most of a story that she shows to her best friend and fellow sixth grader Zoe. Natalie got the idea to write a story from her mother, Hannah, who works for a publishing company. Natalie’s mom told her how the company is looking for school stories, so Natalie figured she could write something like that. After Zoe finishes the first two chapters, she tells Natalie that it’s good, and she wants to read more. Natalie gives Zoe the rest of the finished chapters to read that afternoon after school. Natalie’s love for reading and writing comes from her childhood. Her parents read to her every night, and they helped foster her love for literature. Natalie uses the old office chair and computer that belonged to her father, who is deceased, as her writing station; doing so helps her feel closer to him.

Zoe suggests Natalie get her book published because Natalie’s mom works as an editor. Natalie feels her mom would be biased about her own daughter’s work. Zoe tells Natalie there’s still a way to get the book published without Natalie’s mom finding out about her identity. Zoe tells Natalie about Ted Geisel, which is the real name of Dr. Seuss. Zoe suggests Natalie make up a pseudonym too, so Natalie can get her mom to look at the book without her mom knowing. Natalie feels this would be lying, but Zoe argues that authors use pen names all the time. Natalie agrees and decides on Cassandra Day as her pen name. Zoe says she read the rest of the book and she loves it.

After school, Natalie begins to have doubts. She worries she’s not good enough to be published. She calls Zoe from the phone in the empty office next to her mom’s and tells Zoe she’s backing out. Zoe will speak only to Cassandra Day, not Natalie. Natalie plays along and Zoe gives “Cassandra” a pep talk about her talent and how they’re going to get the book published. Natalie feels a little better after the phone call, but she grows anxious again when she learns about the slush pile, which is a pile of envelopes containing potential books from new authors. Natalie’s mom Hannah explains how the slush pile almost never has anything worth publishing, but every now and then they find something good. Hannah also explains how authors use literary agents to get their work in the hands of publishers. Natalie thinks she has no chance at publishing, so she struggles to finish writing the book.

That weekend, Zoe also learns about the publishing business. She asks her dad what he’d do if he wanted to get a book published. He tells her about literary agents and how they do their jobs. Zoe feels it’s important that she gets Natalie’s book published because she can see how Natalie has used the book to express feelings about her late father. Zoe understands how much Natalie misses her dad. Zoe is motivated to get the book published as a gift to Natalie and her mom.

Zoe tells Natalie that she wants to act as Natalie’s literary agent. Zoe has chosen the name Sherry Clutch and printed stationery with a logo for the Sherry Clutch Literary Agency. Natalie doesn’t like the idea at first but decides to go through with the plan as a favor to Zoe on the condition that they get an adult involved. Natalie and Zoe seek the help of their sixth-grade English teacher Ms. Clayton. They tell Ms. Clayton about their plan and give her a copy of Natalie’s unfinished manuscript. Ms. Clayton is skeptical, but she agrees to read the manuscript. She finds the manuscript is impressive, so the next day she meets with the girls and agrees to help them out. Ms. Clayton makes Zoe change her agent name to Zee Zee Reisman so there is no potential legal trouble with Zoe impersonating someone else.

Natalie finishes writing her manuscript, feeling better now that Ms. Clayton is involved. Zoe gives Ms. Clayton an envelope with money and instructions for renting a temporary office, phone number, pager, and answering service. Ms. Clayton tries to back out again, but Zoe bluffs about getting a different teacher involved instead. Ms. Clayton doesn’t want to feel like a coward, so she agrees to go through with it. Using her own money instead of Zoe’s, she rents the office and signs up for the services Zoe requested.

Zoe and Natalie work out a plan to deliver the manuscript. Zoe leaves a message on Natalie’s mom’s office phone, pretending to be Zee Zee Reisman and informing Hannah Nelson that she is sending over a manuscript from a fantastic new author that Hannah must look at right away. Natalie brings the manuscript to her mom’s office and pretends it was a package delivered by a messenger.

Hannah’s boss, Letha Springfield, is a cold woman and very hard on Hannah. When Letha sees the package, she pretends to have heard of the Sherry Clutch Literary Agency and assigns Hannah to look over it. Natalie hides her excitement. She waits all weekend for her mom to read the manuscript, but on Saturday night she begins to feel guilty about having skipped the slush pile. She calls Zoe to talk about her feelings, but Zoe makes her feel better because Zoe believes Natalie’s work is good and deserving of these advantages. On Sunday, Hannah reads the manuscript and excitedly tells Natalie that she thinks she’s found what her company is looking for.

Hannah calls Zee Zee Reisman and leaves a message about being interested in the manuscript. Zoe calls her back, disguising her voice as Zee Zee Reisman, and they agree to talk again on Wednesday after Hannah meets with her team. However, on Wednesday, it’s Letha who calls Zee Zee back. Letha has decided to take the manuscript for herself. Natalie and Zoe agree that they don’t want Letha as their editor, so Zee Zee contacts Letha and demands Hannah as an editor. Letha is angry by this interaction. She tells Hannah they will not publish the book unless Zee Zee apologizes. With Ms. Clayton’s advice, Zoe sends the manuscript to the president of the company along with a letter explaining their troubles with Letha. The president reads the letter and manuscript and forces Letha to give the assignment to Hannah.

A week later, Natalie and Zoe get a publishing contract. They ask Ms. Clayton to look over it, but she suggests they talk to a lawyer. Zoe’s dad is a lawyer, so they visit him after school. After explaining their whole plan, Mr. Reisman is impressed. He goes over the legal details with the girls and explains how they need a parent to sign an affidavit since the girls are not adults. He agrees to sign for Zoe, but Natalie only has her mom. They come up with Natalie’s uncle, who is close to the family. They call him, and he agrees to sign the affidavit.

Natalie begins the long process of editing. Natalie is originally overwhelmed by how much revising and editing she must do, but she ends up enjoying the process because she gets to know her mom better through their written communications. Once the book is done, Natalie receives two advance copies of her book. She gives one to Ms. Clayton and one to Zoe, but Natalie still worries about how popular the book will be.

Zoe comes up with a plan. Zee Zee contacts Hannah and sets up a publication party. Zoe also contacts the local news and invites them to attend the publication party. Zoe does not tell Natalie or Ms. Clayton about the party, but she convinces Natalie to bring Ms. Clayton to the publishing office for a tour. Natalie unknowingly walks into her own publication party, where she and Zoe confess to Natalie’s mom that they are Cassandra Day and Zee Zee Reisman. The news reporter catches everything. Natalie’s mom is proud of Natalie. The news runs the story along with interviews with Natalie, Zoe, Ms. Clayton, Hannah, and Letha. The media coverage helps propel the book to success, which brings a new job opportunity for Letha, who moves to a different company. Hannah is promoted into Letha’s old position.

At the end of the book, before the girls move into seventh grade, Natalie and Zoe talk about their futures. Zoe tells Natalie it’s all right if she wants a real agent for her next book, but Natalie says she wouldn’t trade Zoe for anything. Natalie thinks about how she can put her happy feelings into her next book.