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“No skill is more crucial to the future of a child, or to a democratic and prosperous society, than literacy.”
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Summary: Lizzie tends to her grandpa's antique store while her mom goes out on errands. In the ten minutes she's gone, Lizzie learns one of the
most valuable lessons in life: not everything has a price. A rather snotty, colourful character with a boat-load of cash waltzes into
the store, intending to buy her way to what she truly wanted: to possess the world, and Lizzie's grandfather, too. This is a humorous story with brilliant nuggets about what's important in life ... in a way young readers can appreciate them.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, anytime reading, family reading, middle grade reader, read aloud book
Recommended Age: read together: 4 to 8; read yourself: 8 to 12
Interest Level: 4 to 8
Age of Child: Started reading with 5˝-year-old child.
Little Kid Reaction: Another instant hit. By the time Mrs. Larchmont offers Lizzie enough money to build an ice cream store, our child had caught on to the pause in Lizzie's decisions.
Big Kid Reaction: The illustrator, T. Kyle Gentry, underscores the book's message by playing with the colors. That which is unimportant is black and white, such as most of the items in the antique store itself. That which is valuable does have color. In Lizzie's eyes, the potential customer seems quite valuable in the beginning as she snatches up several items for purchase. Despite the woman's insistent bidding, Lizzie refuses to sell her grandpa napping on the Louis XVI couch.
Pros: Grandpa for Sale is a heart-warming tale of love and child-like wonder. I highly recommend it! The child's mind is wonderfully portrayed as Lizzie imagines what she could buy with each exponential increment of cash the woman offers for her grandfather. But at the end of each fantasy, she realizes it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if her grandfather weren't there to enjoy it with her.
Educational Themes: There are plenty of ways to share and enjoy this book. On the serious side, you can talk about responsibility or a grandparent child relationship. On the fun side, you can play with the "what would you do" questions and pause to guess what Lizzie (or the reader) would do before turning the page. A great opportunity to play with reading comprehension.
Notes: Award-winning author Christine Hohlbaum, SAHM Expert for ClubMom, PR Diva Queen, and author of Diary of a Mother, wrote this profile.
Literary Categories: Fiction - picture book, family, life lessons, fantasy
Date(s) Reviewed: March 2007
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