Education Extra Book Picks.Byline: The Register-Guard "Dear Whiskers See metal whiskers. ," by Ann Whitehead Nagda; Holiday House, 2000 Age group: 7 to 11 The kids in Jenny's fourth-grade class have a new assignment: Write letters to the second-graders, and pretend they are written by a mouse. Jenny doesn't enjoy writing letters, and she doesn't enjoy pretending. She is even more unhappy about the assignment when she receives her letter back from Sameera, her second-grade pen pal pen pal n. A person with whom one becomes acquainted through a friendly, regular correspondence. pen pal Noun Informal same as pen friend Noun 1. . Sameera's letter says simply "No mouse. In desk." As the story unfolds, Jenny learns more about Sameera: her family has just moved here from Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (sä  `dē ərā`bēə, sou`–, sô–), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. , and she doesn't like the
assignment any more than Jenny does. Jenny's dilemma builds after
she learns that Sameera doesn't know English, and apparently
doesn't want to learn. Can she think of a way to capture her
interest?
Jenny's creative approach to the problem involves mouse cookies and make-believe. And a believable be·liev·a·ble adj. Capable of eliciting belief or trust. See Synonyms at plausible. be·liev  a·bil resolution - not just between
Jenny and Sameera, but between Sameera and the rest of her class - makes
for an enjoyable and satisfying chapter book.
This story stays evenly centered on the second- and fourth-grade students. It is perfect for those "betweener" readers who are just making the transition to chapter books, or are unwilling to take on a 200-page novel. The impatient Jenny, Richard the joker, Susan the perfect and especially Sameera, the new kid who talks "funny," will draw young readers in. The subtle, nonpedagogical message about understanding those different from us shines through, and the winsome win·some adj. Charming, often in a childlike or naive way. [Middle English winsum, from Old English wynsum : from wynn, joy; see wen-1 pencil drawings pencil drawing Drawing executed with a pencil, an instrument made of graphite enclosed in a wood casing. Though graphite was mined in the 16th century, its use by artists is not known before the 17th century. add delight. A great choice for young readers! By Debra Bogart, youth services librarian, Springfield Public Library |
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