Category: Reviews-Bostick Communication(2009)

PUB DATE: March 15 2009
AGE: 9-12 Years Old

I have to say at first Michael wasn’t interested in the book because its about a girl. He is very much into boy things. So after explaining to him that it could be anyone he was a little more interested in it.

The story is about Alice who is too tall. She isn’t tall like a building but taller then girls her own age. When she gets her class picture taken she is the only girl in the back. When Alice is alone she wishes she was four inches shorter.

Then one night after she is in bed the neighbors come back over for a card game and she overhears her parents comparing her to a toothpick, a bean pole, and even a string bean with their neighbors. She is sad and cries when she hears the talk going on downstairs. What she fails to hear is that the neighbors offer up ideas for future professions for Alice if she remains taller than others such as a super model.

Alice cries herself to sleep. She has a dream where she is in a room with girls that are much taller than she is. Some are supermodels and basketball stars. They are all tall.

One of the basketball players gets Alice on her shoulders so that Alice can see all around her. Alice gets a glimpse of her past and then of her future. She sees her family and her friends. Sadly she doesn’t see herself. The basketball player explain to Alice how she can find herself. So she closes her eyes and then she sees herself. It was like a movie playing in her head telling her all the wonderful things she is and all the wonderful things she can be.

Alice comes to realize that being four inches taller than the other girls now isn’t such a big deal after all and she begins to appreciates that she is just fine the way she is and that she can be anything she wants to be!

PUB DATE: March 2008
Ages 5-8 years old

Ralphina is a roly poly and she is lonely. She is looking for a friend to play with. She wishes that the boy who lived in the house would come out and play with her. She is so small so she thinks of a way to get the boy to notice her. Finally she comes up with a plan. Her plan is that she will dig in the garden to help the tulips bloom. Once the boy sees the tulips he will see her and they will be friends.

She goes to work and begins to turn the soil over and over making a warm bed for the bulbs. Then the tulips begin to bloom in a rainbow of colors. She wanted for the boy to come out. When the boy finally came outside he saw the tulips and bent down to pick one for his mother and that is when he saw Ralphina.

The boy’s name is Alec. Ralphina taught Alec about roly polies because he didn’t know anything about them. Things about roly polies have 14 feet. They are related to crabs and lobsters and like to live in the dark damp places such as a garden. Alec and Ralphina became friends.

The pictures in the book were bright and colorful. It was also very educational because Claudia put some facts about roly poly and rainbows. Thanks to Claudia for mailing the book to us. We enjoyed reading it.

PUB DATE: November 2008
GENRE: 3-9 years old

Baron is the dog in the story and thinks of he as a person. He enjoys the fun and games and the life of a dog but he wants a friend. The family that Baron is with one day puts him in a school for dogs because he ran out into the road. Then changes in the family happen when the father who is in Air Force must leave for a year of duty. Baron is learning how to behave but he still wants a friend. When winter comes Baron enjoyed being outdoors with the kids. Billy would push and pull his friends on the sled but when they went home Billy was alone but Baron knew what he had to do, he grabbed the rope of the sled and pulled Billy. Billy had the best time. Billy was so happy so he grabbed Baron and hugged him and said “Thank you Baron. You are my best friend.” Baron was happy because he finally had a friend.

Review by Michael.

Thanks to Laurie for sending the book to us. We really enjoyed it. The illustrations were really nice to look out. It suited the book very well.