Harvey the Great Lakes Whale
Wiliam George Nelson
Whale Tale Publishing
430 South 14th Street, Escanaba, MI 49829
ISBN: 978-0-9796220-0-7, $12.00, 2007.
Reviewed for Reader Views Kids, 2/08.
Have you ever taken a wrong turn and ended up somewhere wonderful? Sometimes making a mistake can lead to an exciting adventure. Harvey is a young whale who doesn't always listen to every thing his parents tell him. His not listening has led him to become entangled in a ship. Unable to free himself, he ends up traveling many miles from his home and the salt of the ocean.
Being in fresh water rather than salt water gives him an opportunity to make new friends and learn about where he now lives. His new best friend is Tommy Trout. Being friends they help each other out of difficult situations. Some of the other characters he meets are: Gertrude the Gossipping Sea Gull, Susie Salmon and Stuart Sturgeon.
This is more than just a great story book. After each chapter, there are descriptions of many different types of fish. It is like a travel book to the Upper Pennisula of Michigan. I have visited some of the very same sites that Harvey visits. I remember feeling much the same way when he found himself inside the Soo Locks between the United States and Canada. I loved this book and hated to see it end!
If you are looking for a book to get your young fisherman or fisherwoman hooked on reading, you will definitely want to catch this one!
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
First and Ten
First and Ten
Jeff Rud
Orca Book Publishers
P.O. Box 468 Custer, WA 98240--0468
http://www.orcabook.com/
978-1-55143-690-6,$7.95, 2007.
Reviewed for Reader View Kids, 03/08.
Sometimes there's more to life than just being a football player. Sometimes we have to tackle more difficult situations than just playing a game with a piece of pigskin.
Matt Hill is excited to be a part of his football team but he has found himself in some sticky situations. Off the field, he has to try and build a relationship with his father who has suddenly appeared after 10 years of being absent in his life. Matt also is trying to be the best friend and teammate to Ricky who is dealing with a father who gives him too much attention but the right kind of attention. Which is worse having a dad who was gone and came back or having a dad who is too aggressive? Should both boys look to Coach Reynolds as a role model when dealing with father issues? He's a man, will that help?
"First and Ten" will certainly score a touchdown for football fans and young readers ages 8-12. We all have to make decisions both on and off the field. Jeff Rud will score many points with young readers who enjoy a good book about one of their favorite sports. This is a very well written story with good lessons in succeeding on and off the field.
I hope Jeff Rud has already kicked off his next book in this series, its one you won't want to miss!
Jeff Rud
Orca Book Publishers
P.O. Box 468 Custer, WA 98240--0468
http://www.orcabook.com/
978-1-55143-690-6,$7.95, 2007.
Reviewed for Reader View Kids, 03/08.
Sometimes there's more to life than just being a football player. Sometimes we have to tackle more difficult situations than just playing a game with a piece of pigskin.
Matt Hill is excited to be a part of his football team but he has found himself in some sticky situations. Off the field, he has to try and build a relationship with his father who has suddenly appeared after 10 years of being absent in his life. Matt also is trying to be the best friend and teammate to Ricky who is dealing with a father who gives him too much attention but the right kind of attention. Which is worse having a dad who was gone and came back or having a dad who is too aggressive? Should both boys look to Coach Reynolds as a role model when dealing with father issues? He's a man, will that help?
"First and Ten" will certainly score a touchdown for football fans and young readers ages 8-12. We all have to make decisions both on and off the field. Jeff Rud will score many points with young readers who enjoy a good book about one of their favorite sports. This is a very well written story with good lessons in succeeding on and off the field.
I hope Jeff Rud has already kicked off his next book in this series, its one you won't want to miss!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
How to Steal A Dog
Georgina is 12 and is very desperate to help out her mother in any way that she can possibly come up with. Georgina 's father has left her mother to fend for herself and her 2 children. The mother is trying to work 2 jobs in order to get a home for her family. The family lives in the car and when Georgina is not in school, she is in charge of taking care of her younger brother Toby.
Could a "Reward for A Lost Dog" sign be the answer to the family's problems? Georgina comes up with a plan to earn a $500 reward for returning a lost dog. She must first find a dog whose owner will post a reward for its safe return. She decides to steal Willy. She is very detailed in planning out what steps she will take. She keeps all of her plans written in a notebook. What she doesn't plan on is, the interesting characters she encounters in carrying out her plan. She develops a friendship with Willy's owner and an elderly gentleman by the name of Mookie who has similar living conditions to Georgina 's family.
This is an excellent story for the middle graders! Barbara O'Connor does a terrific job in bringing out important issues like homelessness, dealing with elderly, and doing what is right in all situations. This book will have kids having a hard time laying this book down until the final page. I know many of my classmates (both dog lovers and non dog lovers) are anxious to read this delightful book!
Could a "Reward for A Lost Dog" sign be the answer to the family's problems? Georgina comes up with a plan to earn a $500 reward for returning a lost dog. She must first find a dog whose owner will post a reward for its safe return. She decides to steal Willy. She is very detailed in planning out what steps she will take. She keeps all of her plans written in a notebook. What she doesn't plan on is, the interesting characters she encounters in carrying out her plan. She develops a friendship with Willy's owner and an elderly gentleman by the name of Mookie who has similar living conditions to Georgina 's family.
This is an excellent story for the middle graders! Barbara O'Connor does a terrific job in bringing out important issues like homelessness, dealing with elderly, and doing what is right in all situations. This book will have kids having a hard time laying this book down until the final page. I know many of my classmates (both dog lovers and non dog lovers) are anxious to read this delightful book!
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