memories

Thank you!

Sophie Rosen , , , , ,

Hopkinson, Deborah. A Letter to My Teacher. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017.
A young adult writes a letter to her second-grade teacher, recounting her memories and expressing her appreciation for all she learned during that inspiring year. The story is fun: flowing smoothly with conversation to enliven the narration. The pictures by Nancy Carpenter are lively: full of expression and a sense of spontaneity. Unfortunately, the style of the font and the layout of the text do not match the mood of the story. Despite that distraction, this picture book is still recommended for readers 8 years old and up. 

Find stories for Thanksgiving HERE

Find ideas for showing gratitude HERE

Find tips on critiquing stories HERE

Remembering our vacation…

Sophie Rosen , , , ,

Perkins, Lynne Rae. Pictures from Our Vacation. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2007.
What joy! A girl recounts a summer trip with her parents and brother to the family farm in Canada where she meets all sorts of relatives. How  intriguing! The words in the story never mention Canada, but the large map showing the journey marks the destination north of Lake Ontario. The words in the story also never name the main character or her brother, so readers can easily imagine themselves and remember their own family trips. How wise!  The girl reflects – at the end of the story – that the photographs she took with her new camera can’t capture the most important parts of the journey: the stories she heard and the emotions she felt. Only her memories can really keep that vacation alive.
The design, the text, and the pen and ink and watercolour illustrations all work together to create a picture book for all ages.

More summer vacation stories HERE 

Lynne Rae Perkins’ website HERE