A Novel that Took Me to The Roller Coaster of Emotions

This novel took me on a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed at some parts and wanted to cry in others. This story hit very close to home for me because I lived through Hurricane Katrina, and I remember the devastation that that storm put New Orleans through. The characters that Herlong created felt so real, and I felt like I knew them in a sense through their dialogue. Lil T is my favorite character, and I think his character developed so beautifully throughout this story.

I always hear the saying ‘A dog is a man’s best friend’, and I think Lil T shows that. He cared so much for Buddy, and to see him work hard daily to save up for this dog touched my heart. On top of that, he ended up letting Brian keep Buddy. It was a tough decision to make, but Lil T letting Buddy stay in California showed the type of person Lil T is.

Lil T knew that it would be best for him to have Buddy, but he realized that it would be best for Buddy to stay with Brian. That shows that love is sometimes about letting go, and Lil T did just that.

The Baby on the Way is about a grandmother telling her grandson about the day she was born. This story shows children that adults were once babies too, just like them. Often children think that adults were always adults, and children even think that adults are hundreds of years old.

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I think this story can bring it to children’s attention that yes, everyone was once a baby. The illustrations are colorful, and they sort of remind me of a comic book’s illustrations. I did not find any themes or morals in this story, which is why I could see this story being read to a child before bed, or even a nice story to end a long school day with. It is one of those stories that I think is good to start with when it comes to introducing reading to children.

This is one of those stories where even though there are few words, the illustration tells it all. The Tortoise and the Hare is a story that I remember reading as a child. It teaches readers that even though the hare was faster and likely to win the race, the slow tortoise won the race because he was not cocky. The hare figured he was so far ahead, that he would take a nap. Little did he know, he slept for so long that the tortoise caught up to him by being persistent and patient. The illustration in the book went hand in hand with the text. When the author would write about the monkey being alarmed, the illustration would depict that. This would be a great book to read to children because they not only get to hear an amazing tale, but they also get to see the text correlate with the illustration. Also, say this book was being read to a child who was learning English. The child will be able to see what the animals are and see the animals’ English names.

Reading this story, I was a bit confused as to why the name of this book is ‘Grandma’s Gift’. Throughout the story readers see the grandmother and the boy go to the market, make food, and then go to a museum. I had a hard time grasping what the main focus of the story was, until the last page when the grandmother gave the boy a sketchbook and pencils. This is a great book for children who are learning Spanish or even vice versa. It exposes children to both languages, and it makes learning a bit more exciting with the colorful illustrations. I loved how Morales wrote the Spanish word for an item, and then the English translation at the bottom. That helps children see how different or similar two words can be, even though the words mean the same thing. Even for children who speak another language, the illustrations can help the children figure out what the words are. My Name is Yoon is about a Korean girl named Yoon who just moved to America. At first, Yoon does not like the idea of having to write her name in English, and she stuck to the mindset that she wanted to go back to Korea because she does not have any friends in America. In school, Yoon did not want to trace her name on the paper her teacher gave her. Instead, she wrote out words like ‘cat’ and ‘bird’; these animals made her happy, and Yoon felt like she could relate to them. One day a girl walks up to Yoon and shares a cupcake with her, which started a friendship. Since then, Yoon felt comfortable going to school. She began to trace her name on the paper her teacher gave her, and she began to be content with how her name is spelled in English. I think this story would be suitable for kindergartners and first graders because it can teach them how to share correctly. Throughout the book, the two siblings share items, but they do not share them in a way that is kind or respectful. For example, Jack shared Georgina’s teddy bear with their dog. Kindergartners and first graders could correct that and say that it is not a kind to share because the dog can rip the teddy bear. This is a cute book that can teach young children a lesson that can be used in their daily lives when they play with others.

Erandi’s Braids is an amazing book to read to children. It exposes children to the way life was in Mexico around the 1940s and 1950s, but it also teaches children about caring for and helping others. This book is about a young girl named Erandi who was turning seven years old. Erandi had beautiful long hair, and during this period people would often sell their long hair in exchange for money. Erandi’s mother was going to sell her hair to have money for a new fishing net, but unfortunately, her hair was not long enough. Erandi saw that her family needed the money, and she knew that her mother already sacrificed some money to get her a birthday gift. Erandi wanted to help her mother out, so she decided to have her long hair cut and sold. Erandi’s mother was disappointed that her daughter had to sacrifice her long hair for her, but Erandi knew she made the right decision.

This short story takes place around the time the Berlin Wall was built, and it is about a boy, his sister, and his mother who were separated from their father. Narrated from the boy’s perspective, he talks about missing his father, and he eventually comes up with a plan to be reunited with his father. Tom Cole writes about the struggles that people went through trying to escape, but he wrote it in a way that was not sad to read. This story just grazes the surface about what happened, and I think it is a good introduction to get young children to know about the Berlin Wall, but without the gore.