The Last Holiday Concert

Who's running the show?

For Hart Evans
, being the most popular kid in the sixth grade has its advantages. Kids look up to him, and all the teachers let him get away with anything—all the teachers except the chorus director, Mr. Meinert. When Hart's errant rubber band hits Mr. Meinert on the neck during chorus practice, it's the last straw for the chorus director, who's just learned he's about to lose his job due to budget cuts. So he tells the class they can produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It's all up to them. And who gets elected to run the show? The popular Mr. Hart Evans.

Hart soon discovers there's a big difference between popularity and leadership, and to his surprise, discovers something else as well—it's really important to him that this be the best holiday concert ever, and even more important, that it not be the last. Cover illustration copyright © 2004 by Brian Selznick

“Clements is a master at taking elements of relatively common school situations and turning them into masterful stories with truly engaging characters…. [This story] will leave youngsters teeming with emotion.”

—School Library Journal

OTHER FAVORITES FROM
ANDREW CLEMENTS,
BESTSELLING AUTHOR WITH OVER 10 MILLION BOOKS IN PRINT!

visit the author at
AndrewClements.com

More School Stories from
Andrew Clements

FRINDLE

“A fresh, imaginative plot that will have readers smiling all the way through, if not laughing out loud.”

—Horn Book Magazine
,
starred review

“A captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves.”

—Kirkus Reviews
,
pointered review

SCHOOL STORY

“A standout….”
—Publishers Weekly
,
starred review

“Practical as well as poignant.”

—Kirkus Reviews
,
starred review

“Full of suspense, adventure, and action. another wonderful novel written by Clements.”
—Library Talk
,
starred review

THE LANDRY NEWS

“Thought-provoking … readers will cheer.”

—School Library Journal
,
starred review

“Another terrific school story by the inventor of
Frindle
.”

—Horn Book Magazine

“The story gallops along….”
—New York Times Book Review

Andrew Clements
is the author of more than forty books for children, including
Frindle, The Report Card
, and most recently
We the Children
, the first book in the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series. He lives with his family outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Mr. Clements says of
The Last Holiday Concert
: “I knew the basic plot of
The Last Holiday Concert
before I began. But I learned as I was writing that the story is really about the difference between popularity and leadership. It's also about the vital role that art and music teachers play in our public schools.”

THE LAST HOLIDAY CONCERT

Also by Andrew Clements

The Report Card

A Week in the Woods

The Jacket

The School Story

The Janitor's Boy

The Landry News

Frindle

Big Al

Jake Drake, Bully Buster

Jake Drake, Know-It-All

Jake Drake, Teacher's Pet

Jake Drake, Class Clown

Big Al and Shrimpy