Parents' Guide to

Nicholas

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

French classic about misbehaving schoolboys.

Book Rene Goscinny Humor 2005
Nicholas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Rachel C
Rachel C Parent of 11 and 14-year-old
January 3, 2015
age 7+

very funny

Nicholas is a funny book that is entertaining to all ages. Its a book about a naughty french school boy who gets in trouble with all of his friends. It has been one of my favorites for a very long time. Nicholas gets in trouble but always ends up in a good place.Nicholas takes place in 1950s france not infrance today .There is lots of love, laughter and fun in this book.

This title has:

Great messages
bording
bording Parent of 10 and 15-year-old
January 23, 2009
age 8+

Very funny in context

My 8 year-old daughter was given Nicholas for a Christmas present. What a treat! Nicholas is a French, male version of Junie B. Jones, one of our favorite characters. The book is written from Nicholas' point of view so you get to hear him describe the adults reactions and what they say. This child's vantage point provides much of the humor. Yes, Nicholas' main occupation is getting into trouble, i.e. smoking a cigar and then getting sick. But hearing his comments on the chaos he and his classmates create is what will bring on the smiles and make you and your child laugh out loud. I suggest you read this out loud to the whole family.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In nineteen related short stories, Nicholas and his friends, French schoolboys in an all-boys school, innocently and with great good humor and energy destroy everything they get near. They drive their teachers and parents nuts, flummox a school inspector, play hooky, smoke a cigar, play soccer without a ball, destroy a school play, deal with report cards, and much more.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

A bestseller in France since 1959, this uproarious translation is a time warp to a kind of children's book you don't see much anymore. Rene Goscinny, author of the Asterix series, imbues his short, funny stories with no deeper meaning, no character development, and above all, no life lessons. All of the characters are badly behaved but oddly charming. These manage to amuse without resorting to the vulgarity relied upon by so many modern authors.

Filled with tiny cartoons by New Yorker artist Jean-Jacques Sempe that perfectly match the text, this will keep many children amused for hours, though the more worldly may find it tepid. It is tepid, but that can be a virtue. If you're looking for a bedtime read-aloud that will get your kids giggling without getting them too riled up, you could hardly do better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how much of the humor also comes from Nicholas not really understanding what's wrong with his behavior. Also worth some discussion is the difference between this depiction of school and child behavior in '50s France, and today's schools in America.

Book Details

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