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| Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | 
 enlarge | Author: Judith Viorst
Creator: Ray Cruz
Brand: INGRAM BOOK & DISTRIBUTOR
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $2.98
You Save: $5.01 (63%)
New (46) Used (36) Collectible (3) from $1.26
Avg. Customer Rating:  182 reviews
Sales Rank: 154
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 7.2 x 0.2
MPN: ING0689711735
ISBN: 0689711735
EAN: 9780689711732
ASIN: 0689711735
Publication Date: July 15, 1987
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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| Features:
| • | CHILDRENS BOOKS & MUSIC | | • | Childrens Books | | • | Language Arts |
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| Also Available In:
| • | Paperback - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Bluegum) | | • | Audio Cassette - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | School & Library Binding - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Hardcover - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Audio Cassette - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Audio Cassette - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and Other Stories | | • | Puzzle - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Audio Cassette - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Paperback - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Paperback - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Turtleback - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Hardcover - Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Paperback - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Paperback - Alexander and the Terrible,Horrible,No Good,Very Bad Day | | • | Hardcover - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | | • | Audio CD - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day CD |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Judith Viorst. Poor Alexander! He woke up with gum in his hair; his mom forgot to put dessert in his lunch bag; there were lima beans for dinner, and kissing on TV even the cat refuses to sleep in his bed. Some days are just like that. Alexander's awful day is the perfect lead-off for this collection of funny, touching stories about the ups and downs of childhood from imaginary monsters to saying goodbye to a family pet. Judith Viorst's insightful and humorous stories are the perfect antidote to any child's "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."
Amazon.com Review
"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." So begin the trials and tribulations of the irascible Alexander, who has been earning the sympathy of readers since 1972. People of all ages have terrible, horrible days, and Alexander offers us the cranky commiseration we crave as well as a reminder that things may not be all that bad. As Alexander's day progresses, he faces a barrage of bummers worthy of a country- western song: getting smushed in the middle seat of the car, a dessertless lunch sack, a cavity at the dentist's office, stripeless sneakers, witnessing kissing on television, and being forced to sleep in railroad-train pajamas. He resolves several times to move to Australia. Judith Viorst flawlessly and humorously captures a child's testy temperament, rendering Alexander sympathetic rather than whiny. Our hero's gum-styled hair and peevish countenance are artfully depicted by Ray Cruz's illustrations. An ALA Notable Book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a great antidote to bad days everywhere, sure to put a smile on even the crabbiest of faces. (Ages 5 to 9)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 177 more reviews...
 People of all ages can relate! May 11, 2005
48 out of 51 found this review helpful
I first had this book read to me as a child, and it stuck with me throughout life. I would always remember that anyone can have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (even in Australia). In fact, sometimes I still tell people that I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and it someone flickers with recognition, then all is well in the world!
Contrary to what some reviewers say, this is not a depressing book. It's one to keep on the shelf and re-read any day things aren't going right. It has a wonderful message and is beautifully illustrated.
This is a timeless classic. Adults and children will enjoy the experience.
Even five-year-olds get the blues August 23, 2002
34 out of 39 found this review helpful
Ever have a day when absolutely nothing went right? Haven't we all? That's probably why so many children fall in love with this book; we've all been there, even the very young ones, so they can relate just like we grownups can. From the first mishap in the early morning when he wakes up with last night's chewed gum stuck in his hair, to the final indignity of being rejected by the cat (who wants to sleep with his brother Anthony, not with him), with umpteen mishaps and misfortunes in between (lima beans for supper? Yuck. Kissing on TV? Double-yuck!), Alexander's day just gets worse and worse. If you had a day like that, wouldn't you want to hop the first jet to Australia? Judith Viorst has an uncanny knack for being able to put herself in a five-year-old's shoes, and her book lets kids know that their feelings are valid and normal. And at the book's end, Alexander -- and the youngsters -- realize that days like that are bound to happen, even in Australia. This is a great read-aloud book; the kids usually end up chanting (or shouting) along with the reader "It was a TERRIBLE!! HORRIBLE!! NO!! GOOD!! VERY!! BAD!! DAY!!" and Ray Cruz's pen and ink drawings are a delight and add to the fun. I've read this book to several first-graders and each one of them clamored for a repeat. This is one book that belongs on every child's bookshelf and will probably be treasured for years to come.
Marvelous, Wonderful, No Fault, Very Good Book! January 30, 2000
23 out of 25 found this review helpful
Though I wouldn't necessarily admit this to anyone over about 3 feet tall, I must say this is my all time favorite book bar none. I read it as a child and found myself instantly relating to Alexander and distinctly remember feeling pleased that someone...anyone...else had the capacity to blow a day full of minor irratations out of proportion so dramatically. Now, as a preschool teacher I love it yet more because not only do the children have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but when they do, so too do I. I find myself reading the book out loud with so much drama and emphasis that it is emensely cathartic for all of us! I adore this book and firmly believe that every human on the planet would benefit from dramatic readings of it from time to time.
 I wish I had waited May 26, 2006
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
I was having a very bad day myself and my son knew it when I saw this on the library shelf. I thought we might have a chuckle togehter. While I definitely can relate to Alexander's sentiments, I wish I had waited to read it with my 2 and 1/2 year old. He is a voracious reader (you know what I mean) and can handle quite sophisticated stories, but this one just taught him to use the word "hate." I'm sure it was bound to happen soon enough, but somehow later would have been better.
We've all been there, and now we can laugh about it August 7, 2004
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
I remember this one from my own childhood, and I recall even then commiserating with Alexander as he has to deal with one of those days in which everything seems to go wrong. Waking up with gum in his hair, dropping his sweater in the sink and eating dry breakfast cereal sets the tone for the rest of the story; weirdly enough, it's not negative energy that gets built up, but humor. Who can't relate, I ask you?
I thought that a big part of this story's charm was the run on sentences that narrated in Alexander's first person voice. Example: "On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and then I started crying because of the mud and Nick said I was a crybaby and...". It's great because that's how kids his age really speak when they are bursting with information and emotion at the same time. I think it is a sign of an incredibly stuffy mindset to pick apart such a well-loved, time-tested winner of a book because it "teaches kids poor grammar". Phooey. What it really teaches is that we all have "those" days, and that we can get over them as Alexander did.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will appeal to kids of all ages, especially boys. Better yet, it will crack a smile or two out of the reading adult.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle
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