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    We the Children
    We the Children
    We the Children
    Ebook132 pages1 hourBenjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School

    We the Children

    By Andrew Clements and Adam Stower

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The first in a six-book series, We the Children follows Ben, his tech-savvy friend, Jill, and the class know-it-all, Robert, as they uncover a remarkable history and use it to protect the school.

    Sixth grader Benjamin Pratt loves history, which makes going to the historic Duncan Oakes School a pretty cool thing. But a wave of commercialization is hitting the area and his beloved school is slated to be torn down to make room for an entertainment park. This would be most kids’ dream—except there’s more to the developers than meets the eye… and more to the school. Because weeks before the wrecking ball is due to strike, Ben finds an old leather pouch that contains a parchment scroll with a note three students wrote in 1791. The students call themselves the Keepers of the School, and it turns out they’re not the only secret group to have existed at Duncan Oakes.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAtheneum Books for Young Readers
    Release dateMar 20, 2012
    ISBN9781416999140
    Author

    Andrew Clements

    Andrew Clements (1949–2019) was the author of the enormously popular Frindle. More than 10 million copies of his books have been sold, and he was nominated for a multitude of state awards, including a Christopher Award and an Edgar Award. His popular works include About Average, Troublemaker, Extra Credit, Lost and Found, No Talking, Room One, Lunch Money, and more. He was also the author of the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series. Find out more at AndrewClements.com.

    Read more from Andrew Clements

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    Reviews for We the Children

    3.5/5

    121 ratings17 reviews

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    • 2/5

      Feb 5, 2010

      The first thing I should say is that I am obviously not the intended audience for this book. It's for kids and I haven't been one for a long time. Even so, I think I can confidently say that this book kind of sucks.

      First off the dialogue is terrible. It sounds like it was written by someone who was trying to be clever, but just ended up sounding stupid.

      Then there's the fact that this is the type of series that I really hate. It's one of those series where each book just end in the middle of the action. There's no resolution at all. I suspect that if all the books in the series were put together, you'd end up with a complete novel. I hate it when a book reads more like a fragment of a book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5

      Sep 15, 2019

      This book was so much fun. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from the folks at Simon & Schuster (THANK YOU) so I had the pleasure of reading this prior to its 04/06/10 release. It's the start to a new series that promises more fun to be had. You might even learn a thing or two along the way! Definitely recommended reading!
    • 4/5

      Aug 10, 2017

      This is book one in a series about Benjamin and his friend Jill. They attend the seaside Oakes School, which has stood for over two hundred years, but will be torn down within weeks. The town has sold the school land and some of the seaside land to a huge corporation that builds historical theme parks, so they'll be tearing down the actual history in order to build fake history.
      Ben comes across the school janitor, who has just broken his ankle on the school stairs. The old man presses a gold coin into Ben's hand and demands a promise that Ben will defend the school. From what, or how, becomes a mystery Ben and Jill have to solve on their own, as the janitor dies within hours.
      If I came across more from this series, I'd follow it. It's pretty smart, with researching clues and a very detailed boat race.
    • 3/5

      Apr 28, 2013

      A different kind of Clements book. I would like to read the next one. Did not expect the cliff hanger ending. Lots going on in the story, maybe too much.
    • 3/5

      Mar 30, 2013

      This was about a 2.5 book for me. A good set-up to a series, but it didn't really answer any questions that were raised! I think it will get better with the next book, but since it was a slow start, I wonder if kids will pick it up.
    • 3/5

      Apr 10, 2011

      Keepers of the School is a new series by Andrew Clements, author of many books, inlcuding Frindle, A Week in the Woods, and No Talking. The first book in the series is We the Children. This is a mystery/adventure book about an elementary school that dates back to the 1790's. The school and surrounding property has just been sold to a big company that is planning to tear it down and build an amusement park on the site. Ben is given a gold coin by the school custodian who is dying, along with an ominous message to defend the school at all costs. Ben first has to find out who he is defending the school against, and then figure out how to actually save it. A spellbinding read, with a side story about learning how to sail.
    • 5/5

      Mar 14, 2011

      Ben Pratt a six grader at Captain Duncan Oakes School faces alot of changes this year. His parents are on their way to a divorce, the old school is being torn down for a new amusement part and he the one who finds Mr. Keane the old janitor in the hallway the day before he dies. While waiting for the paramedics Keane hands Ben a gold coin that saids " First and always my school belongs to the children Defend It Duncan Oakes 1783.
      Not sure what to do with the coin he befriends Jill and together they set off on an mission to save the old school.
    • 3/5

      Sep 28, 2010

      Sixth-grader Ben Pratt's life is full of changes that he does not like--his parents' separation and the plan to demolish his seaside school to build an amusement park--but when the school janitor gives him a tarnished coin with some old engravings and then dies, Ben is drawn into an effort to keep the school from being destroyed.
    • 3/5

      Sep 12, 2010

      It isn't Clements fault, but I am SO sick of series! I didn't see the tiny little one at the top of the spine, and had I seen it, I probably would NOT have purchased the book. Doesn't anyone write a great stand alone novel any more? Having said that, I did enjoy Benjamin Pratt & The Keeper's of the School:We the Children. I liked the mysterious way Ben is thrust into a position of responsibility by the janitor, and I have just the right amount of questions (does the coin have any magic powers, what does the key open, will Ben be able to save the school, and what will happen between his mom and dad) to keep me interested in reading book two. But seriously, I wish it had been one book!
    • 2/5

      Aug 1, 2010

      This is the first book in a series written for children aged 9-12. In it, Benjamin Pratt and his friends learn that they must save their historic school from being bulldozed by developers. The story is an old-fashioned mystery in the spirit of Encyclopedia Brown. It's well-written with believable middle school-aged characters and really wonderful pencil drawings illustrating it throughout.

      I enjoyed the book, but I wish that it had been more able to stand on its own. I think that books written in series should work together, but should also finish a complete story on their own and this one just doesn't manage that and that was disappointing.
    • 3/5

      Jul 12, 2010

      This is a very interesting book about 2 friends and a school mystery. There names are Ben and Jill. One day Ben is given a piece of circular stone with writing on it. Jill and Ben have a adventure finding how to stop the school from being torn down. Or can they? I would say that this book is for kids ages 8-12.
    • 4/5

      Jun 27, 2010

      Obviously the first book in a series. The book ends with a cliff-hanger. Three friends work together to save their school from developers after receiving a mysterious message from the dying school janitor.
    • 4/5

      Jun 25, 2010

      The first in a six part series. Not quite as compelling as Clements' other books, but perhaps because it is written for a younger audience. Benjamin and his friend Jill attend a school right on the Massachusetts coast in a school built in the 1700s. This book introduces their dilemma: a big Disney-like organization has bought the school property and plans to tear it down and put up an amusement park. However, the former janitor gives Ben a mysterious coin dating back to the opening of the school that charges the holder of the coin with preserving the school. The janitor died shortly after. Subsequent books will follow the pair as they dicipher long lost clues.
    • 4/5

      Feb 9, 2010

      I really enjoyed this introduction to Clements' new series that focuses on two kids' efforts to save their elementary school from an evil corporate takeover. Ben is a delightful character struggling to accept his parents' recent separation; his dislike of change finds a focus in the plans to tear down his school. His partner in crime is the brains of the operation, and her inclusion in the story helps make the book attractive to both boys and girls.

      This first installment is a slim volume that serves to introduce the theme and main characters, and sets up the mystery by solving one set of clues and introducing the next. Clements writes with an authentic voice that will appeal to young readers but introduces mature themes that should spark discussions around the dinner table. All in all an excellent read.
    • 3/5

      Feb 7, 2010

      Aimed at the age group from 7-10 years old, this book is a quick read. The plot is sort of ridiculous, but fun, and character development is started, but doesn't feel fully fleshed out. Yet. It is clear that the series will need to be read as a whole for completion of the story. This book begins the tale, but feels mostly like exposition. It's setting the scene, giving the necessary background information for the story arc to follow.

      To be fair, I don't tend to read books intended for this age group, anymore. At the same time, I wouldn't recommend reading this book yet, because I feel that a book should be more well-rounded on its' own. I might be willing to recommend the book series as a whole, but it's not finished, so I can't really say yet.
    • 3/5

      Feb 1, 2010

      Benjamin Pratt is a boy with a problem.Well actually, with a couple of problems. His parents are recently separated and he lives with either parent on alternate weeks. Also, the janitor at his school has recently turned up dead after giving Ben an ancient gold coin with an inscription and having extracted a promise from Ben that he would fight to save the school from being torn down by rich developers. This is a great beginning, but it is only a beginning and we are left wanting a lot more in this first installment of The Keepers of the School. The characters are interesting. Ben is a boy with a good sense of values and discipline, who is set in believable situations. We are left wanting more, which I suppose is the purpose of having a series of books. I can't help but think that we could have been given more in this first installment. It feels a bit thin.
    • 2/5

      Jan 30, 2010

      This book is an interesting start, but it's just a start. Nothing is resolved and the plot is only just begun. It's one thing to end the first book of a series on a cliffhanger; it's another thing entirely not to resolve or even completely explain a single plot point. I guess Andrew Clements is hoping to release only short parts of a story at a time and to sell a lot of books that way?

    Book preview

    We the Children - Andrew Clements

    Cover: We the Children, by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Adam Stower

    A 6000-POUND WRECKING BALL IS ABOUT TO DEMOLISH BENJAMIN PRATT’S SCHOOL. . . . AND HE HAS ONLY 28 DAYS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP IT.

    Benjamin Pratt’s harbor-side school is going to be bulldozed to make room for an amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true. . . . Or is it more like a nightmare? Something about the plan seems fishy, and Lyman, the new assistant janitor, seems even fishier. When Ben and his friend Jill start digging for answers, they find things that the people with money and power don’t want them to see. Could the history hidden deep within an old school building actually overthrow a thirty-million-dollar real-estate deal? And how far will the developers go to keep that from happening? Ben and Jill are about to discover just how dangerous a little knowledge can be.

    A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

    We the Children, by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Adam Stower, Atheneum Books for Young Readers

    For Faynia Davis,

    a friend and inspiration

    —A. C.

    Contents

    Chapter 1: Promise

    Chapter 2: Moments of Silence

    Chapter 3: Attack

    Chapter 4: Whiff

    Chapter 5: Trust

    Chapter 6: Tipping Point

    Chapter 7: A we Thing

    Chapter 8: War Zone

    Chapter 9: Research

    Chapter 10: Rose on the Floor

    Chapter 11: Artifacts

    Chapter 12: Finders, Keepers

    Chapter 13: Clean Start

    CHAPTER 1

    Promise

    As the ship’s bell clanged through the school’s hallway for the third time, Ben ran his tongue back and forth across the porcelain caps that covered his front teeth, a nervous habit. And he was nervous because he was late. Again.

    When she was being the art teacher, Ms. Wilton was full of smiles and fun and two dozen clever ways to be creative with egg cartons and yarn—but in homeroom she was different. More like a drill sergeant. Or a prison guard. Still, maybe if he got to his seat before she took attendance, he might not have to stay after school. Again.

    The art room was in the original school building, and Ben was still hurrying through the Annex, the newer part of the school. But the long connecting hallway was empty, so he put on a burst of speed. He banged through the double doors at a dead run, slowed a little for the last corner, then sprinted for the art room.

    Halfway there, he stopped in his tracks.

    Mr. Keane—are you okay?

    It was a stupid question. The janitor was dragging his left leg as he used the handle of a big dust mop like a crutch, trying to get himself through the doorway into his workroom. His face was pale, twisted with pain.

    Help me . . . sit down. His breathing was ragged, his voice raspy.

    Ben gulped. I should call 9-1-1.

    Already did, and I told ’em where to find me, the man growled. Just get me . . . to that chair.

    With one arm across Ben’s shoulders, Mr. Keane groaned with each step, then eased himself into a chair by the workbench.

    Sh-should I get the school nurse?

    Mr. Keane’s eyes flashed, and his shock of white hair was wilder and messier than usual. "That windbag? No—I broke my ankle or somethin’ on the stairs, and it hurts like the devil. And it means I’m gonna be laid up the rest of the school year. And you can stop lookin’ so scared. I’m not mad at you, I’m just . . . mad."

    As he snarled that last word, Ben saw his yellowed teeth. And he remembered why all the kids at Oakes School tried to steer clear of old man Keane.

    A distant siren began to wail, then a second one. Edgeport wasn’t a big town, so the sound got louder by the second.

    From under his bushy eyebrows, Mr. Keane looked up into Ben’s face. I know you, don’t I?

    Ben nodded. You helped me and my dad scrape the hull of our sailboat two summers ago. Over at Parson’s Marina. He remembered that Mr. Keane had been sharp and impatient the entire week, no fun at all.

    Right—you’re the Pratt kid.

    I’m Ben . . . Benjamin.

    The janitor kept looking into his face, and Ben felt like he was in a police lineup. Then the man suddenly nodded, as if he was agreeing with someone.

    He straightened his injured leg, gasping in pain, pushed a hand into his front pocket, then pulled it back out.

    Stick out your hand.

    Startled, Ben said, What?

    "You hard a’ hearing? Stick out your hand!"

    Ben did, and Mr. Keane grabbed hold and pressed something into his palm, quickly closing the boy’s fingers around it. Then he clamped Ben’s fist inside his leathery grip. Ben wanted to yank his hand loose and run, but he wasn’t sure he could break free . . . and part of him didn’t want to. Even though he was frightened, he was curious, too. So he just gulped and stood there, eyes wide, staring at the faded blue anchor tattooed on the man’s wrist.

    "This thing in your hand? I’ve been carryin’ it around with me every day for forty-three years. Tom Benton was the janitor here before me, and the day he retired, he handed it to me. And before Tom Benton, it was in Jimmy Conklin’s pocket for thirty-some years, and before that, the other janitors had it—every one of ’em, all the way back to the very first man hired by Captain Oakes himself when he founded the school. Look at it . . . but first promise that you’ll keep all this secret. He squinted up into Ben’s face, his blue eyes bright and feverish. Do you swear?"

    Ben’s mouth was dry. He’d have said anything to get this scary old guy with bad breath to let go of him. He whispered, I swear.

    Mr. Keane released his hand, and Ben opened his fingers.

    And then he stared. It was a large gold coin with rounded edges, smooth as a beach pebble.

    Outside, the sirens were closing in fast.

    See the writing? Read it.

    With shaky hands, Ben held the coin up to catch more light. The words stamped into the soft metal had been worn away to shadows, barely visible.

    He read aloud, still whispering. ‘If attacked, look nor’-nor’east from amidships on the upper deck.’ He turned the coin over. ‘First and always, my school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT. Duncan Oakes, 1783.’

    Mr. Keane’s eyes flashed. "You know about the town council, right? How they sold this school and all the land? And how they’re tearin’ the place down in June? If that’s not an attack, then I don’t know what

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