Customer Reviews

Clara and the Bookwagon (I Can Read Book 3)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This easy reader chapter book promotes books and reading with an appealing story set in 1905 Maryland. Inquisitive Clara desperately wants to learn to read, but there are no schools nearby, and her father says she's too busy with farmwork to waste her time on books.

Levinson makes historical fiction very appealing to younger readers, with a fine eye to the details of rural life, without getting bogged down in old-fashioned terms. While the story is simple, the characters and plot are realistic. In the process, the reader is introduced to the very first "bookmobile," a horse-drawn wagon, based on historical fact.

In our library, this title doesn't get checked out until it is read-aloud or otherwise introduced to the children. After that it gets a lot of use. Recommended.

I have a seven year old boy who is an excellent reader. The problem is getting him to read. If it is not about lizards, he's not interested. This book was sent today as part of his K-12 curriculum. I told him to read the first 11 pages. He read 40 before putting it down. I've never seen him read a fiction book like that. I thought perhaps he was just skimming since he was reading it quickly, but I quizzed him and he actually read it! I'm very pleased.

The historical story is a great intro to past time periods, and my daughter has read this book over and over.

I used this book to develop a lesson plan for all core subjects for a class I'm in at UNCG, school of education. I thought the book provided the excited feelings reading can create when it is intrinsically encouraged. Great book!