Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind | Book Review

Elementary school teacher Phillip Done takes readers through a lively and hilarious year in the classroom. Starting with the relative calm before the storm of buying school supplies and posting class lists, he shares the distinct personalities of grades K-4, what he learned from two professional trick-or-treating 8-year-old boys, the art of mastering cursive and composing letters, how kindergartners try to trap leprechauns, and what every child should experience before he or she grows up. These charming, sweet, and funny tales of Mr. Done’s trials and triumphs as an award-winning schoolteacher will touch readers’ hearts and remind them of the true joys of childhood. We all have that on special, favorite grade school teacher whom we fondly remember throughout our adult lives- and all teachers have students whom they will never forget. This is the perfect book for teachers, parents, and anyone else who is looking for a lighthearted, nostalgic read.

Phillip Done knows it is a child’s birthday without looking at the calendar, that broken candy canes do not taste as good as unbroken ones, that peanut M&Ms spark in the microwave (Peeps do not), and that measuring the diameter of an Oreo cookie is more fun than measuring the diameter of a coffee can lid. After pumping up his 500th red rubber ball, he decided it was time to write it all down.  Hence, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny and Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood were born.

A veteran of twenty-plus years in the classroom, Done is a five-time champion of the staff watermelon-eating contest and was nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year Award.  He took a pie in the face at this year’s school talent show and was honored as a Teacher of the Year in California.  When not searching for envelopes for newly pulled teeth or making rain parkas out of Hefty bags on rainy field trips, Phil accepted the prestigious Charles Schwab Distinguished Teacher Award from Charles Schwab himself. (He refrained from asking Mr. Schwab if Intel was a good buy.)

Born in San Jose, California, he grew up in Sunnyvale, attended Fremont High School, and studied music and education at San Jose State University. He currently lives in Mountain View, California. His passions are teaching, old movies, and garage sales. His writing has also appeared in Real Simple, Instructor, Parent and Child, and NEA Today.

Mr. Done amazes me again with his writings of being a teacher. Being a parent and seeing what a teacher really gets out of their perfected craft is a blessing and when teachers such as Mr. Done come along you have to stop and realize just how priceless they really are! When he writes about a student I am actually so immersed that I feel like I know that child, you can tell just how much he cares for that student. And some of these stories had me laughing so much!

One of my favorite things about this book, besides the student stories of course,  is something small but I love that it just keeps pace with what the book is about. Every chapter is divided by the months school is in session and starts with a hello to his new students and ends with a goodbye to those same students. To me that makes for the book to read as if I was in school. And speaking of when I was in school, which let’s just say was quite a few years ago, this book made me have flashbacks to some of my favorite teachers, some I remember by name others are just a face in my memory, and all the great times I had being in school. I praise teachers who have it in them to take on the teachings of our future, our children. I only wish that I could of had Mr. Done as one of the teachers I remember.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! Great read, and it brought back great memories of my childhood.