Customer Reviews

Arthur's Great Big Valentine (I Can Read Book 2)

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This is the test book in the Sarah "See if they can read" program. By February if the 1st grade I am teaching reads this to me (over the week of Valentine's, or on the day), I know things are ok.
And once more they did it this year, yeah!
No, not incredibly well, but just fine.

So beyond the remarkable sight word festival it contains, what makes this so nice? (I own 20 copies for one thing ( minus 4 somebody needs to return, grr) And the story is sweet. ) WELL, It' a boy's book which sits in an interesting place for us. Boys really do like Valentine's Day with a fervor. (Take that to the old-timer's secrets grave will yah? )

In the story a little monkey named Arthur has gotten in a big jam with his good buddy Norman. Arthur is terrific at carrying this to us, he's angry, grumpy, surly and then has to have snowball fights with himself! His Little sister Violet tries in her ever so very helpful way to point out "solutions" but it just isn't remotely helpful to him. He and Norman got in this mess over Norman's jacket being torn playing Tarzan. And it was new! Arthur of course is carrying just all the blame. It's guilt.
So there is a big party coming, Wilma (Violet's best friend) is throwing it with invitations, and then there is a traveling Valentine seller named Peter, a little brother Tony and a very cool way this gets happily resolved.

It's amazing every year to watch my reader's read their way through it. And they do want to read so much, plus it has rhymes, and kind of, for the 2nd language learner, enough of a frame to help them along. It's darling.
I really enjoy watching and remembering this holiday through this book.