Dealing with fear is HARD!! Here is a list of 30 books for your preschooler that will provide thoughtful and funny stories on how to recognize what scares you and ways to face your fears moving forward. It’s absolutely FREE so download your copy today!
Month: February 2024
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (J Fiction)
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Patricia MacLachlan (J Fiction)
Sarah Wheaton is from Maine and loves the sea. She can braid hair, make stew, and bake bread, but would rather paint and build bookshelves. Her favorite colors are the colors of the sea: blue, gray, and green. She can keep a fire going at night, has a cat named Seal, and isn’t quite sure if she snores or not. Perhaps the most important thing to know about Sarah is that she’s traveling to the prairie to be a wife to Jacob Witting and a mother to his two children: Anna and Caleb. She’s coming and the children are hoping beyond hope that she won’t leave like their mother did so many years ago when she died soon after childbirth. Is it possible for Sarah—who loves the sea—to be happy with fields and grass and sky and nothing else? Can she make a home without her beloved blue and gray and green? After thirty days, they’ll know for sure.
Sarah, Plain and Tall is the first in a five-book series by Patricia MacLachlan and is one of the shortest books to ever win the Newbery Medal, which was awarded to MacLachlan in 1986. Based on a true story about the author’s ancestors, the book tells the story of an independent and stubborn woman from Maine who enters the home and lives of the Wittings. While the family introduces Sarah to haystacks, cow ponds, and lambs, she shares strange shells, tales of the sea, and a new word from Maine: ayuh meaning yes. Between her naiveté about farm life (she names the sheep and chickens) and her audacity to swim in the cow pond and wear overalls (have you ever heard of such a thing?), Sarah charms everyone around her and begins to heal a broken family.
MacLachlan takes readers back to the late 1800s with a timeless story about home and family set during a time when life was simple, struggles were many, and family meant everything. Through kindness, patience, and love, a plain and tall woman from Maine made the Witting’s house a home again by filling it with songs and treasures from the sea. So, was it possible for Sarah to be happy surrounded by fields and grass and sky and nothing else? Ayuh.
Rating: 5/5
NEW!! Want to share this book with your homeschooler or classroom? Download our affordable study guide by visiting https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-Sarah-Plain-and-Tall-by-Patricia-MacLachlan-11171286
FREE! 30 Picture Books to Help Teach BIG Emotions Series: Anger
Dealing with anger is HARD!!! Here is a list of 30 books for your preschooler that will provide thoughtful and funny stories on what to do when anger strikes and how to manage it in the future. It’s absolutely FREE so download your copy today!
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer (YA Fiction)
On My Honor
Marion Dane Bauer (YA Fiction)
Joel and Tony are about as different as night and day. Joel is honest, responsible, and cautious while Tony exaggerates, is unreliable, and reckless. Nothing illustrates this more than Tony’s latest idea to climb Starved Rock Bluffs. As Joel follows his friend on yet another insane adventure, things go from bad to worse when Joel breaks a promise to his father, tempers get heated, and a dare made in anger turns deadly. With Joel left alone to face the horrible consequences of his actions, how can he tell his parents the truth about what happened when he still can’t believe the truth himself.
Recipient of the Newbery Honor Book award in 1987, On My Honor deals with the difficult subjects of death, guilt, and remorse and is based on a real-life event involving the author’s childhood friend, Ralph. When Ralph and his friend decided to swim in the dirty and dangerous Vermillion River, Ralph’s friend—like Tony—goes under the water and never resurfaces. Like Joel, Ralph goes home and doesn’t tell a soul. On her website, Bauer describes the feelings she experienced when she found out about Ralph and his friend: “And I remember feeling at my very core what it must have felt like to be Ralph in that moment, to have something so terrible happen, to want so badly to go back and do a day over, to make different decisions, and to know that you could not do that . . . not ever.”
Bauer’s writing overflows with details and lavish descriptions that plunge the reader into a dark world of tragedy, shame, and the loss of innocence. It’s difficult to see a main character deal with such complex and complicated emotions, but when the protagonist is only 12, it’s even harder to grasp. Realizing that it was based on actual events makes the story even more painful to comprehend and process.
On describing her process for writing On My Honor, Bauer said, “I read stories because I want to feel. I want to remain warm and safe in my own life while struggling through someone else’s storm. I want to live, for a brief time, inside someone else’s skin. And stories are the only way I know to do that . . . writing them or reading them, either one.” At the end of the book, Joel’s father tries to reassure his son by saying that he couldn’t live his life by maybes. Maybe we can’t do a day over or take back the impact of words once they’re heard, but hopefully with authors like Marion Dane Bauer who provide us with stories about tragedy and loss, we CAN live in someone else’s skin and struggle through their storm while gaining knowledge and learning lessons under the warmth and safety of our own life.
Rating: 5/5
*Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
NEW!! Want to share this book with your homeschooler or classroom? Download our affordable study guide by visiting https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-On-My-Honor-by-Marion-Dane-Bauer-11140704
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl (J Fantasy)
The Magic Finger
Roald Dahl (J Fantasy)
There was once an eight-year-old girl who lived next to Mr. and Mrs. Gregg and their two boys. The little girl enjoyed playing with the little boys and the little boys enjoyed playing with her. Everything was fine and dandy UNTIL the little girl discovered that Mr. Gregg and his boys liked to hunt. No, not just liked to hunt, but LOVED to hunt. They loved hunting more than anything else in the world, and THIS the little girl didn’t like. In fact, she disliked it so much that it made her turn red and hot all over. One Saturday, she saw them carrying a young deer out of the woods. Red, red, red. The next Saturday they carried out sixteen birds. Red, red, red, hot, hot, hot. The little girl got so cross, that she started to tingle and then… Well, that’s when the story really gets interesting because when the little girl gets red and hot and tingly all over, who knows what her magic finger is capable of.
Narrated by a nameless girl, The Magic Finger tells the story of a principled protagonist who directs her indignation at her offenders resulting in certain body parts turning into animal features: whiskers, tails, wings, the sky’s the limit when you choose to insult or anger this little lady! Although their punishment might seem severe, it’s hard to argue that they didn’t have it coming.
This is a delightful, cautionary tale told as only Roald Dahl can. The Magic Finger is a quick read that introduces us to a girl doing a rather wrong thing for the right (at least in her mind) reason. While some people have been known to wear their heart on their sleeve, she holds her angst in her finger and when you become the object of her displeasure, you better run, duck, and cover! But fear not for a happy ending is just a sincere apology and a promise kept away to ensure that everyone has learned their lesson, and our little girl is happy once again. But, for how long?
Rating: 5/5
* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
NEW!! Want to share this book with your homeschooler or classroom? Download our affordable study guide by visiting https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-The-Magic-Finger-by-Roald-Dahl-11122038.
Study Guide: The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl
Designed to eliminate loose papers and leftover craft pieces, this all-in-one study guide contains vocabulary words, content questions, discussion topics, puzzles, activities, crafts, and more! Everything is done IN this book and STAYS in this book! Answer key included.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Vocabulary, Reading
Grades: 3-7
Types: Lessons, Activities, Discussion Topics
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-The-Magic-Finger-by-Roald-Dahl-11122038
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh (J Fiction)
There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, no bears at all. There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, no bears, no bears, no bears, no bears at all.
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
Alice Dalgliesh (J Fiction)
Everybody knows that there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, no bears at all. There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, no bears, no bears, no bears, no bears at all. Under this well-known belief, Jonathan’s mother sends him across the mountain alone to bring back an iron pot from his Aunt Emma. As Jonathan crunch, crunch, crunches his way across the snowy ground, he hopes upon all hope that there really ARE no bears on Hemlock Mountain because if there are, what would one, lonely eight-year-old boy possibly do?
Recipient of the Newbery Honor Book award in 1953, The Bears on Hemlock Mountain is a quick read full of fun, repetitive phrases such as crunch, crunch, crunch and tick-tock, tick-tock, which makes this an ideal read-aloud book. Helen Sewell’s pen and ink illustrations give the story a genuine folklore feel and wonderfully complements this story based on a Pennsylvanian tall tale. This book is recommended for readers ages 5 to 9 and grade levels 1 to 4.
The story of Jonathan’s journey to his aunt’s home and back teaches the importance having courage, facing your fears, and following through on your commitments. At the end of the book, there is an inference about a bear (or bears) being shot and killed, which is fairly unexpected as Dalgliesh takes great care in establishing Jonathan’s love of animals and the respect he has for them. This last-minute act of violence may be disturbing to sensitive readers.
While I was researching quotes about courage and perseverance to use in this review, I came upon one by Japanese author Haruki Murakami that perfectly encapsulates what happens to our young hero: “When you come out of a storm you won’t be the same person that walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.” Jonathan’s mother would have never let her young son make the trek across Hemlock Mountain if she was certain there were bears (or we would hope so). Jonathan himself was worried about bears, although he’s not fully convinced that there are any either. But when the time comes for Jonathan to face his fears, he’s rational and clever and, as a result, finds that the boy who went up the mountain is very, very different from the young man who returned home.
Rating: 5/5
* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
NEW!! Want to discuss this book with your homeschooler or classroom? There’s a FREE study guide available. Visit www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/The-Dusty-Jacket and download your free copy today!
Study Guide: The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
If you enjoy my book reviews then you’ll LOVE my study guides! I want reading to be fun AND fulfilling! If you are an educator or homeschooler, save time with this all-in-one solution. Best yet, it’s FREE on my TeachersPayTeachers store so get yours now! And, stay tuned for future content. Keep reading!
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (YA Fiction)
I was beginning to see, though, that the unknown wasn’t always the greatest thing to fear. The people who know you best can be riskier, because the words they say and the things they think have the potential to be not only scary but true, as well.
Just Listen
Sarah Dessen (YA Fiction)
I was beginning to see, though, that the unknown wasn’t always the greatest thing to fear. The people who know you best can be riskier, because the words they say and the things they think have the potential to be not only scary but true, as well.
Annabel Greene is sixteen years old and, from the outside, seems to have it all. With her good looks and successful modeling career, no one would ever suspect that she carries a dark and shocking secret…one that robs her of her friends, her reputation, and her self-worth. What’s worse is that she can’t even tell her family who are battling their own demons. Like the glass house that Annabel lives in, all seems perfect when looking from the outside, but on the inside is a world of chaos. Things get more unsettled when she befriends Owen Armstrong, an imposing, quiet loner with a penchant for music. As Annabel’s fragile façade slowly breaks apart, can she break free from her glass prison and finally find freedom and forgiveness?
Unless it’s historical fiction, I don’t often steer towards young adult books when choosing my next read. Books filled with teenage angst and melodrama tend to lose my interest quickly. Dessen’s Just Listen is happily the exception to the rule. The relationship between Annabel and her sisters Kirsten (the loquacious Drama Queen) and Whitney (the isolationist with an eating disorder) provides a provocative dynamic and their individual character evolution is compelling and realistic. Change is gradual versus epiphanal so we witness each sister’s slow and methodical journey of becoming a better version of herself.
The relationship between Owen and Annabel is also refreshing as it is grown organically. They’re just two lonely people (one by choice and the other by circumstance) seeking companionship and commonality. Owen’s morality pushes Annabel to come to terms with all aspects of her life: past, present, and future. His accept-me-as-I-am attitude is in direct contrast to Annabel’s constant molding into something that appeals to the broad masses. This dichotomy is compelling and makes for a pleasant change with our heroine wanting to be better for herself rather than to be popular or to get the guy.
Throughout the book, music is an integral part of the story. Owen’s way of expressing himself is through sharing music, and he once advised Annabel to “just listen” rather than immediately think or pass judgement. Healing begins for all characters through listening—whether it is to others around us, to our own body, or to our own heart. Sometimes when things around us are the loudest, the most unnatural yet healthy thing to do is to become quiet and just listen.
Rating: 4/5
* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
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Shadow by Michael Morpurgo (J Historical Fiction)
“She may be a dog, but I think she is more like a friend than a dog, like a friendly shadow that does not want to leave us. You never lose your shadow.”
Shadow
Michael Morpurgo (J Historical Fiction)
Aman and his family lived in the beautiful and peaceful valley of Bamiyan. When Russian fighters came followed by the Taliban, Afghanistan was no longer the safe home that Aman and his people once knew. Forced to flee his homeland, Aman and his mother make the perilous journey to England through Kabul, Kandahar, Iran, Turkey, and across the English Channel. Through it all, he was given comfort, joy, and hope through a Springer Spaniel that he named Shadow. Now, six years later, Aman and his mother face deportation and it’s up to his classmate Matt and his grandfather to find a way to keep Aman in England. With time running out, will Aman lose his new home just like he lost Shadow?
Michael Morpurgo is the reason why historical fiction is my favorite genre. His strong characters take center stage while historical facts and pivotal details provide a colorful backdrop to a compelling and heart-pounding story. Morpurgo sheds light on a region where the police are just as dangerous as the area warlords and local militias; and he shows readers that money can’t guarantee safety and trusted allies are easily corrupted by force or bribery. It is a dangerous world and Aman discovers this all too soon at the young age of eight.
Morpurgo also introduces readers to Yarl’s Wood—a place where Aman and his mother are kept prior to their scheduled deportation. Opened in 2001, the facility is in Bedfordshire, UK and is the main removal center for up to 405 individuals. A second wing added in 2002 increased capacity to 900. Shadow details the horrific conditions of the facility including poor living conditions, children being separated from their parents, and a lack of access to legal representation. According to a recent online article by the BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66121098), the facility now houses only men and although conditions seem to be improving, officials admit that there is still more work to be done.
Shadow is told from three points of view: Aman, Matt, and Matt’s grandfather. For the most part, Aman is our main narrator and through his lens we experience courage and hope of the strongest measure. This book is recommended for readers ages 10 to 14 and contains passages dealing with physical abuse, death, and animal cruelty. Opting for the higher end of the age range might be a safe choice for sensitive readers although all will benefit from the accurate account of a region and people in turmoil while navigating the emotions that this raw, immersive, and captivating story provides.
Shadow reminds us to never underestimate the human spirit or the impact that a loyal and brave companion has on our own capacity to trust and endure the seemingly unbearable. During one of their more difficult times, Aman’s mother said to him, “She may be a dog, but I think she is more like a friend than a dog, like a friendly shadow that does not want to leave us. You never lose your shadow.”
Rating: 5/5
* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com
We’re now posting videos of some of our book reviews! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedustyjacket or on Instagram @tdjreviews and join in on the fun!
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