Teasing Trouble

Hallie’s two loose teeth are the talk of the classroom! Everyone loves watching her wiggle them. Funny Spencer gets lots of attention, too, when he teases Hallie about her teeth. But when Spencer’s jokes go too far, and Hallie’s feelings are hurt, both children have to find a way to stop the teasing and save their friendship.

Spencer wants people to laugh at his jokes, but he doesn’t realize that his jokes are making his classmates mad. Even though Hallie doesn’t like Spencer’s jokes, she bottles up her emotions. Finally, Hallie has had enough, and she yells, “Spencer, I am tired of your teasing. You are a big, mean bully. . . You didn’t hurt me by pinching or punching. But your words hurt my feelings.”

In the end, Miss Sparks helps Spencer and Hallie resolve their conflict. Spencer learns that his words can hurt others. Hallie learns that she needed to tell Spencer how she felt. Both Spencer and Hallie apologize to each other. Spencer and Hallie show that friends can be angry at each other, forgive each other, and save their friendship.

Teasing Trouble includes “Dear Parent,” activities at the end of the book that were created by teachers and child specialists to help you nurture your child’s skills, boost their self-confidence, and encourage a lifelong love for learning.

Readers familiar with the Hopscotch Hill School Series will enjoy seeing a familiar character in an everyday situation. Readers who are beginning to read independently will appreciate the easy vocabulary. Most paragraphs are one simple sentence. Large, colorful illustrations appear on almost every page, which helps the readers understand the plot and the characters’ emotions. Teasing Trouble uses a relatable conflict to teach the importance of working through a conflict.

Sexual Content

• None

Violence

• None

 Drugs and Alcohol

• None

Language

• When Hallie loses her two front teeth, Spencer says, “Hey, everybody! Hallie has a hole in her head!” Later he says, “You have a hole in your head too, Gwen. It’s your nose!”
• Spencer tells Hallie, “There’s no such thing as the tooth fairy anyway. Only babies believe in the tooth fairy.”

Supernatural

• None

Spiritual Content

• None