Synopsis: Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents. He carefully begins to mix a strange combination of ingredients -- and immediately runs into some unforeseen problems. How Andrew finally manages to achieve a temporary set of freckles -- and then isn't sure he really wants them -- makes a warm and hilarious story.

Discussion topics for before reading:

• Ask the students if any of them read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Did anyone borrow the book from the library and finish reading it? Explain that this is the same author.

• Do you have freckles? If you have freckles, do you like them? If you don't have freckles, would you like to? Why or why not? Have you ever seen someone with freckles.

• Cover the different physical characteristics that people have such as tall, thin, short, not thin, straight hair, curly hair, different hair colors, different eye colors, different skin colors, etc. Students can list their own physical characteristics.

• Do you ever wish you could look like someone else? Who?

• In which book does a boy put a recipe into his shoe?

• In which book is there a medicine described as “The Pink Stuff that tasted like peppermint”?

• In which book does a boy named Andrew drink a secret recipe?

• In which book does a boy buy a recipe?

• In what book does the main character attempt to count marks on his friend, but can only get to 86?

• In what book does the main character wake up sweaty after having a terrible dream?

• In what book does the main character attempt to find a brown marker?

• In what book does the main character forget to zip up his pants and then thinks to himself, “Zippers are a pain”?

• In this book, Sharon sells a recipe for five dimes.

• In what book did a character try to stop being tardy at school with a secret formula?

• In what book did the main character hide an important paper in his shoe?

• In what book did a messy kitchen reveal to the mother what was causing her son’s sickness?

• In what book did Andrew fall off his chair when he was picking a recipe up off the floor?

• In what book did the mother play cards while the main character cooked in the kitchen?

• In what book did the main character despite being clean?

• In this book, the main character carries a blue marker in his lunchbox to school.

• In which book did Miss Kelly helps the main character with her secret formula?

• In what book did the main character think a blue marker could solve his problem?

• In which book did ice cubes fail to improve the taste of a recipe?

• In which book does Nicky have freckles?

• In what book is the main character Andrew Marcus?

Discussion Topics:

• Which character in the story did you like best and why?

• Would you have tried the freckle juice? Why or why not?

• Do you think having freckles would have solved Andrew's problem?

• In what ways do you think Andrew and Sharon are alike? How were they different?

• Do you have freckles? If you have freckles, do you like them? If you don't have freckles, would you like to? Why or why not?

• Draw a picture of yourself with and without freckles. Which picture do you like best and why?

• Since the whole freckle issue started because Andrew didn't want to have to wash his neck, you may want to cover personal hygiene as part of this unit.

• Make up your own recipe for freckle juice. Why did you include the ingredients that you did?

• Why does Andrew want freckles?

• What kind of person is Sharon? Do you know someone like her?

• Why does he trust her? Would you trust her?

• How do Andrew and Sharon exchange the money and the recipe? Do you pass notes in class? What do you do?

• What happens after Andrew drinks the freckle juice? What would you have done?

• How does Andrew finally get freckles? Why are his freckles unusual?

• What kind of teacher is Miss Kelly? Does she remind you of one of your teachers? Who?

Activities:

• Draw a picture of yourself with freckles or make a collage of your face. Set aside a large piece of construction paper and sketch the outline of your face on it. Take various types of paper and tear up into rough shapes for eyes, nose, and mouth. Tear up more paper for face and add small pieces to be the freckles. Glue the paper and draw in the empty spaces with marker or crayons. Bring ahead option: tissue paper, wrapping paper, office paper, thread, yarn, or real fabric.

• Make up your own recipe for removing freckles. Why did you include the ingredients that you did?

• Draw your own freckle monster.

• Andrew's mom likes to play cards with her neighbors. You can play a simple card game with the students, such as Go Fish or Old Maid. Bring ahead option: deck of cards.