The Best School Year Ever (Expanded Cast)
Barbara Robinson
The Best School Year Ever
by Barbara Robinson, Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner
Highlights
Synopsis
Beth and Charlie Bradley fear starting another school year with their notorious classmates Imogene, Leroy and Gladys Herdman.
When Miss Kemp assigns the students at Woodrow Wilson Elementary to think of compliments for their classmates and Beth picks Imogene’s name, an unforgettably hilarious school year commences – complete with a tattooed baby, a mysterious teachers’ lounge and a compassionate discovery that might prove there’s something good about this crazy clan after all.
The Best School Year Ever is the second in a series of stories following the beloved characters from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever , adapted from Barbara Robinson’s bestselling Young Adult novels.
Press Reviews
"The story follows a student named Beth as she gets paired on a project with the Herdmans, a group of crazy kids who are up to any good. This group’s wild behavior and outrageous lies constantly lead to disaster, but Beth slowly learns that there is much more to this family than what meets the eye."
— Nashville Parent
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| Beth Bradley The story’s earnest, fifth-grade narrator who sees the irony in a lot of what’s happening. Tries her best to be straightforward and kind to everyone, but the Herdmans make it difficult sometimes. |
| Charlie Bradley The traditional kid brother. A bit goofy and a little intimidated by older kids, especially the Herdmans. |
| Mrs. Bradley An unflappable, witty mom. |
| Imogene Herdman A bossy and loud fifth grader, leader of the Herdmans. Very matter-of-fact. |
| Leroy Herdman Imogene’s sly fox of a brother in third grade. He enjoys teasing other kids. He rarely smiles. |
| Gladys Herdman Small and feisty first grader. She bites. She’s dead serious. |
| Alice Wendleken This prim and proper fifth grader is a know-it-all and can be a tattletale if rules aren’t followed. |
| Boomer Malone This likeable fifth grader loves sports, is friendly to everyone and is unaware that several girls have crushes on him. |
| Eugene Preston A painfully shy third grader who mumbles and has a hard time looking people in the eye. |
| Louella Mcclusky Beth’s best friend in fifth grade who overreacts to most situations. She can be really mad. Or really in love. Or really silly. |
| Miss Kemp Beth’s teacher. She wears bold eyeglass frames and is an enthusiastic teacher who loves her students. She does whatever she can to try to keep order in the class. |
| Mrs. Mcclusky A harried mom. |
| Mrs. Wendleken Self-righteous and a gossip, she’s not above bending the rules if it will benefit her perfect daughter, Alice. |
| Nurse Greenblatt An unflappable ex-army nurse. Nothing surprises her anymore. |
| Miss Newman This very earnest, easily startled teacher wears wire-rimmed glasses and has frazzled-looking hair. She has lost the battle with the Herdmans and is a nervous wreck. |
| Recorded Voices |
| Principal Crabtree An enthusiastic leader. He tries to make his daily announcements entertaining, contrasting with his impatience with everyone who works with him off-microphone. |
| Ralph Herdman A sixth grader. He’s the enforcer in the family. The beef. |
| Claude Herdman |
| Ollie Herdman |
| Vice Principal Durwood Pelfrey A dorky assistant. |
| School Secretary Mrs. Proctor Prim and proper. |
| Volunteer Mom Traffic cop at the Hug-n-Go. |
| Baby Howard Mcclusky A doll or puppet first in a baby carriage, then in a stroller. |
| Cast |
Publication
The Best School Year Ever is a comedy play written by Barbara Robinson and published by Samuel French .
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