Title: Roosevelt Banks; Good-Kid-in-Training
Author: Laurie Calkhoven
Illustrator: Debbie Palen
Publisher: ONE ELM Books
Publication Date: January 7, 2020
Length: 128 Pages
Recommended for Grades 3 - 5.
About the Author
Laurie Calkhoven is a children's writer and editor living in New York City. She has written many historical children's books, including George Washington: An American Life and Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom. You can visit her at lauriecalkhoven.com.
A Good Kid...EXCEPT When He Isn't
Roosevelt Theodore Banks is 10-years-old and in the fourth grade. His little sister's name is Kennedy and his dog's name is Millard Fillmore. Roosevelt's dad is a history professor at a local college and loves to talk about presidential trivia.
Roosevelt is an average kid who likes to have fun with his friends. He has two good friends that he hangs-out with every day after school. When his friend's father plans a thirty-mile bike ride and camping trip, Roosevelt will not be included because he does not have a bike.
The only way Roosevelt will get a new bike and go camping with his friends is to be "good" for two weeks. His parents promise him they will get him a bike if he passes the good kid requirement. That means he can't get in trouble at school and he must help with chores at home.
Everything seems to go wrong while Roosevelt is trying to act right. There are lots of unexpected twists and turns before the end of the two weeks. Will his behavior be good enough?
My Thoughts
This is a good fast-paced chapter book for middle school readers. Boys will relate to the problems that Roosevelt faces in the story. The humor is outstanding and will have children laughing out loud while reading about some of Roosevelt's escapades.
The primary theme of this story is friendship. It is very important for children this age to be accepted by peers and have loyal friends. Roosevelt has to face rejection when his friends are preparing for the bike ride/camping trip and he no longer has a bike (his bike was wrecked while doing a science fair project).
Roosevelt's parents are supportive and help him resolve a problem that almost costs him the bike. Roosevelt learns that honesty is important in any relationship and taking responsibility for your actions is the best choice for success.
The illustrations add value and humor to the story.
I applaud the author for adding a few historical references to this story. I hope this will make young readers curious enough to head for the library and search for more information about U.S. presidents.
Recommended for students in grades 3 - 5.
MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI - I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review from NetGalley.
Thank you for visiting my blog. Please FOLLOW and share your thoughts in the COMMENTS section below.
"Pinky Bunny's First Day of Kindergarten", by Kristina Cardoza, is a cute story about a shy little bunny and her first day of kindergarten.
The unique thing about this book is the author was just 5 years old when she wrote this book! The story is based on the author's own first day of school. Pinky is a real stuffed animal that was a gift from Kristina's grandmother.
About the Author
Kristina Cardoza is currently 10 years old and is in the 5th grade. She wrote "Pinky Bunny's First Day of Kindergarten" when she was 5 years old. She wrote this story because she wanted to express how she felt on her first day of
Kindergarten: no friends, was shy, and wanted to stay home because she missed her
old friends.
Pinky Goes To Kindergarten
Pinky the bunny was not happy about going to kindergarten. When she got there, she was lonely because she did not have any friends. A friendly blue Cottontail bunny came up to Pinky and asked her to play. They were having a good time but were soon approached by a bully named Hops who wanted to wrestle.
Hops was very persistent and would not leave Pinky and Cottontail alone. They had to hide behind a slide just to get away from Hops. When it was time to go home, Hops sneaked into Pinky's red van and went home with her.
This story had a happy ending when Hops understood that he made some wrong choices. Pinky and Cottontail forgave him and they all became friends.
My Thoughts
This is a very cute story told from a child's point-of-view. This book would be a great way to motivate boys and girls to write about their own experiences. Kristina writes about a problem that most all children worry about...not having any friends. She also does a good job explaining how she felt while having to deal with an aggressive bully.
I read this ebook on my Kindle 3 (black-and-white pictures) and on the Kindle for PC application (color pictures). There is one color picture on each page and 4 to 8 lines of text underneath each illustration. There is a different color emphasized on many of the pages...ex. the word "BLUE" is colored blue. The illustrations look great in color and are large and clear enough to enjoy on the black-and-white screen of the Kindle. The print is a tad small but I don't think this is a major concern.
The conversation between the bunny children is very realistic and poignant. This is a wonderful little ebook to share with young children. The book could be used to motivate creative writing and storytelling. It is also a very helpful resource for discussing the problem of bullies and how to deal with them. Very good for read-aloud or beginning readers. Highly recommended!
My Rating: 5 Star out of 5
FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com. when it was offered as a free digital download. Please check the price before ordering.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
