I absolutely love the writing style of Roal Dahl. Many times throughout the year as I have read The Magic Finger or George’s Marvelous Medicine and now Matilda, I have glanced at my students with their total expression in a daze. Their eyes are twinkling and mouths half open as if to somehow come up with the words to the rest of the story. They are captivated, lost in a world that someone created and typed into a story. I LOVE that look because then I know that the book has become something more than pages and words. It’s the journey that you embark on without ever leaving. When I finish a book to my class, I always feel like we have been on an adventure together.

Here is a great top ten from the Letterman show about some outrageous excuse notes.  I thought you might enjoy.

10. “Jerry was at his grandmother’s yesterday and she did not bring him to school because Jerry couldn’t remember where the school was.”

9. “Ronnie would not finish his work last night. He said his brain was too tired of spelling.”

8. “Eric hurt his knee in a karate tournament over the weekend. He won his age group, but was in too much pain to do his math assignment.”

7. “Amy did not do her homework last night because we went out to a party and did not get home until late. If she is tired, please let her sleep during recess time.”

6. “Henry stayed home because he had a stomachache from eating too much frosting.”

5. “It was my fault Mike did not do his math homework last night. His pencil broke and we do not have a pencil sharpener at home.”

4. “Scott didn’t practice last night because he lost his tooth in the mouthpiece of his trumpet.”

3. “Diane was late on Wednesday. She fell asleep on the bus and was taken back to the bus yard.”

2. “Cody was absent yesterday because we were at disco bowling until 2am.”

1. “Tommy wasn’t in school yesterday because he thought it was Saturday.”