Tag: responsibility

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (J Fiction)

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Beverly Cleary (J Fiction)

Ralph is reckless. Ralph is impatient. Ralph is his mother’s greatest worry. Worst of all…RALPH IS BORED! He is a mouse yearning for excitement and danger, and he’s about to get it when young Keith Gridley and his family check into Room 215 at the Mountain View Inn—home to Ralph and his mouse family. When Ralph spies Keith’s beloved diecast motorcycle on the nightstand one day, Ralph HAS to ride it because that red beauty is his one-way ticket to adventure. It also starts a chain reaction that sees Ralph trapped in a wastebasket, narrowly escaping a vacuum cleaner, tangling with a pillowcase, inciting an excitable pooch, and braving the outdoors—all while trying to reclaim the lost motorcycle, win back the trust of a friend, and prove that he CAN be a responsible mouse.

Inspired by real-life events involving a spooky old hotel, a sick little boy, a set of miniature cars, and a little mouse caught in a garden bucket, Beverly Cleary gives young readers another timeless and unforgettable story—one full of heart and the importance of accountability, responsibility, selflessness, and friendship. At the story’s heart is an unlikely friendship between a young boy and a mouse who find commonality over their love of motorcycles. Through Keith, Ralph begins to understand that putting other’s needs first doesn’t mean sacrificing your own wants and in the long run, the benefits received are far richer and more rewarding than imagined.  

This is an ideal classroom or read-aloud book as the lessons learned are worth discovering and discussing. For a young reader to watch Ralph’s evolution from being self-indulgent and reckless to thoughtful and considerate is satisfying to witness and teaches that the only thing more important than being responsible is accepting accountability and making sure that a wrong is made right and trust is restored. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility” and a young mouse with a thirst for speed shows us that greatness isn’t having a shiny red motorcycle, but having someone that believes in you and calls you friend.

Rating: 5/5

NEW!! Want to share this book with your homeschooler or classroom? Download our affordable study guide: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-The-Mouse-and-the-Motorcycle-by-Beverly-Cleary-11217785

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (YA)

Under the Mesquite

Under the Mesquite  

Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Young Adult Fiction)

Lupita knows that her Mami has a secret that she is hiding from her and her seven siblings.  She hears her talking with her comadres in their hushed words and sees their furtive glances.  Something is different.  Something is wrong.  Then Lupita hears the word that Mami keeps tucked behind closed doors…”cancer”.  Suddenly, Lupita has to deal with her mother’s chemo treatments, her best friend’s sudden ridicule, and her upcoming 15th birthday.  Through it all, she has her writing.  For a brief moment, Lupita is able to block out the world and find solace as she pours out her feelings under the sanctuary of her family’s mesquite tree.

McCall gives us inspiration through tragedy as she delivers a compelling story written entirely in free verse.  Although this is a quick read (a slow read is encouraged), the author provides an enormous amount of depth, detail, and emotion by using just a few words proving that less is indeed more.

I enjoyed seeing Lupita go between her homeland of Mexico and her current home in the United States.  McCall’s use of Spanish words throughout the book gives the story a richness that allows us to totally immerse ourselves in Lupita’s culture and world.  These two halves of her life are very different, but somehow fit seamlessly to give us a whole girl who is headstrong, caring, and mature beyond her years.

In the beginning of the story, a mesquite tree unexpectedly grows in the middle of Mami’s prized rose garden.  But over time, this intrusion is a welcomed and comforting presence.  Through pruning, the tree has grown to be quite lovely, but it is not its beauty that strikes Lupita.

“I envy the mesquite

its undaunted spirit, its ability to turn

even a disabling pruning

into an unexpected opportunity

to veer in a different direction,

flourishing more profusely than before”.

It would be wonderful if we were all just a little bit more like the mesquite tree:  growing stronger after being weakened, finding new opportunities through loss, and thriving wherever planted.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to www.amazon.com