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As usual, I don't know what I get myself into when I read a Jordan Castillo Price novel...
The little Engine that Could written by Watty Piper is a 3.5 on the Accelerated Reading leveling system. This story is about a train engine that is running smoothly on his track until he comes to a large hill. The train chants "I think I can" until he is able to cross over the summit. This is a perfect book for teaching persistence. It could be used to teach students to never give up and chase their dreams no matter how big or small.
Lentil written by Robert McCloskey is a 4.8 on the Accelerated Reading leveling system. The story is about a young boy who plays the harmonica. The town is excited to welcome their hero home. Everyone except Sneep is getting ready. On the day of the parade, the band is ready to play and welcome the hero. Sneep shows up sucking loudly on a lemon. The band begins to pucker their lips. When the hero arrives, there is silence. Everyone stares at Sneep. Finally, Lentil breaks the silence by playing his harmonica. He saves the day and gets to lead the parade. This story could be used to show there is always a way to solve a problem. It is also a silly example of creativity and persistence.
This is a cool story. It's science fiction. People now go in to undergo these lifelike dreams. It's common place and after awhile they fade. Some trippy things happen. It's interesting and definitely not the end of the story arc. I'll continue for sure.
The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark, by Deborah Diesen, finds the Mr. Fish trying to help Mrs. Clam find her lost pearl. He's persistent, but when he starts to waiver, the voice of a friend helps him to go on. As Mr. Fish goes deeper and deeper into the ocean, we find out he is afraid of the dark. However, with a little help from his friend, he is able to find Mrs. Clam's pearl and return it to her safely.
The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark has really nice illustrations which anyone would love, but is a book which would probably be best enjoyed by lower elementary grades. It tells a story of friendship, persistence, helping others, and keeping one's word, all the while using a fun, rhyming text. This would be a great book to share with a lower elementary class when you are working on character building or if you are having issues with students wanting to quit when things get a bit difficult.
