Nothing Ever Happens On 90th Street

Nothing Ever Happens On 90th Street by Roni Schotter is about a girl named Eva who has a journal and always jots in it when she sees something happen on 90th street. Eva was sitting on the stairs and waiting for something to happen on 90th street. Then Mr.Sims told her, "Everything is a stage even 90th street." Mr.Moely told her that there's always a new way with words. Then Eva started thinking putting the pencil up to her mouth should I scrawl about this? Then Eva went to go to sit back down on the stairs. Just then the door slammed from the building it was Alexis Leora. She nodded to Eva. . Eva was thinking what if Alexis met someone. Eva tried to think who that person was but she only imagined Spanish soup. Then Eva opened her eyes and Ms.Martinez was standing next to Eva. Ms.Martinez handed Eva a cup of soup. Then Ms.Martinez told Eva some writers always need some soup. Nothing was happening on 90th street and Eva wanted to try to make something happen but she had no ideas. Eva sighed. She looked down and ate her half eaten Danish. Just then Eva came up with a big idea. What if she broke her Danish into tiny little pieces. Birds where flying every where and crashed into the pizza man. Then Eva picked up her pencil really fast and started to write again. When the pizza man fell Alexis helped him up and started to like each other. The pizza man was still in the street and the limo driver said "Get out of the street." The person in the limo was Sondra. Mr.Martinez said "Can I have your autograph Sondra?" Mr.Sims cat got scared and ran up the tree and people were making him come down and he came down. "I'm sure 90th street has a solution." She tried to imagine who that person was but she couldn't. Then the pizza man and limo driver shook hands. Eva opened her notebook and read her story and it was a good story, Eva told herself it would only be better if she rewrote it.

Every day something very exciting happens if you look for it. Eva is trying her hardest every day to find that exciting thing she wants to see. She never gives up. She is a people person and always knows what people are doing. Maybe no one sees what Eva sees because she is looking very strong. I liked the way when Eva is trying her hardest to find interesting things that she really wants to see.

By Mikayla

Too often, students don't think they have anything to write about. This was a very cute story that can be used as a springboard about what could happen in their own neighborhoods.

I bought this book as a companion for a lesson on writing development from a writing program that I love and use. I set up for the lesson then read this book to my students. It was a drag...It was boring...It was disjointed...we didn't get it. It seemed to lack a point. The new title could be "No Really...Nothing ever happens on 90th Street...I Mean It!" Now the illustrations were great! I love the loose style of the artist. I wish the author had developed the story better. I wished this teacher had previewed the book better.

This book's beautiful pictures and descriptions provide models of good narrative writing, and the actual situation-- writing where first you think there's nothing to write about-- is great for reluctant writers...

This is a very long story for kids. My daughter, who delights in reading with me for up to an hour at a time, could not sit through even four pages of this book. I would have forced the issue if I had felt it was a great read and she was just not focused but I couldn't get into it either. Expect loooong wordy passages and little plot movement. I would maybe recommend it for an older elementary age child who needs some help with their creative writing (that's what the story is about)but I wouldn't really recommend it otherwise. There are so many other more interesting books out there!