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White, non-Hispanic children are more likely to be read aloud to every day than either black, non-Hispanic or Hispanic... More
Summary: When Mrs. Rowell decided to read Beatrice's Goat to her fifth grade class, she lit a spark in her students. Mrs. Rowell told them about a family in Uganda who had received a goat through Heiffer International. The class decided to get involved, and everyone helped raise the money to "give a goat." Follow along as the kids turn their enthusiasm into an international goodwill gesture. This is a picture book based on the true story of student-to-student effort to make a difference in the world.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, family reading, anytime reading, early grade reader, read aloud book, remedial reader
Recommended Age: read together: 6 to 9; read yourself: 8 to 10
Interest Level: 6 to 10
Reading Level: 3.1
Age of Child: Read with a 5-year-old girl.
Little Kid Reaction: My daughter enjoyed the idea of children helping other children they had never met before. She liked the creative ways the children used to earn the money to buy the goat. She asked us to go to a map so we could show her where Uganda was. She also wanted to read more about goats.
Big Kid Reaction: This is a great story on so many levels: how reading can inspire great ideas; how a class project can inspire other kids to get involved; and, last but not least, how to make schoolwork (math) relevant. The author did a beautiful job allowing a student to tell the story.
Second parent reviewer: If a child was having problems with being thankful for what they have I would buy this book for them!
Pros: Everyone will enjoy - and likely be inspired by - this excellently written and illustrated story.
Cons: None. In the bottom corner of the jacket flap there is a link to resources that can expand the learning in this book. It would be helpful to have them in the main part of the book.
Borrow or Buy: Buy. This book should be in every school and public library.
Educational Themes: The fun story and simple text make this an easy story to share. The themes include: philanthropy, sharing, caring, working hard, and being thankful for what you have.
Notes: Flesch Kincaid reading level 3.1
Literary Categories: Fiction - Philantrhopy, Africa
Date(s) Reviewed: March 2009
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