Customer Reviews

Dear Whiskers

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Dear Whiskers is a wonderful children's book. As a fourth grade teacher, reading this book would encourage imaginative writing of my students. Children ranging in grades from second to fourth would enjoy this story of friendship and learning. I loved this book especially because it can be related to language arts and creative writing. There are many enrichment ideas that can be used with this particular book. Fourth grade children could be encouraged to write their own letters as an animal or other creature to a younger child. Second grade children would benefit from learning how to write letters. I think this book was delightful and shows students that getting to know someone through the use of shared reading can benefit not only an individual, but also an entire class.

Dear Whiskers is the story of a fourth grade girl and her struggle with her second grade pen pal.
The main character, Jenny, is a fourth grader. She is assigned a second grade pen pal, Sameera. Jenny and Sameera have never met and they know nothing about each other. Jenny's struggle begins right away.
Throughout the book, Jenny is confronted with challenges involving Sameera. When Jenny (Whiskers) writes Sameera, Sameera doesn't answer and Jenny is disappointed to look around and see all the other students with letters. Later on in the book Jenny goes to the second grade classroom and finally meets Sameera. Jenny finds out that Sameera is from Saudi Arabia. Sameera can't speak very much English. Jenny struggles with this throughout the book.
In one scene Jenny goes to the second grade classroom again. She is planning on reading two books to Sameera. Sameera is nowhere to be found. When Jenny finds her she leads her back to the classroom. Jenny and Sameera sit down and read two books. Sameera never actually talks to Jenny but they understood each other a little better.
Throughout the story Jenny keeps going to see Sameera. Jenny kept asking her teacher for a new pen pal, but her teacher, Mrs. Steele, just said, "keep trying you can do it". You can tell Jenny makes a huge effort to help Sameera and be her friend.
At the very end of the book Sameera finally writes Jenny a letter. It says, "Dear Whiskers, I have a mouse in my desk. I like him. My friend Jenny made him."

I bought this book for my 9-year old niece and she absolutely loved it. She is a reluctant reader but she ended up reading the entire book in one sitting! She especially enjoyed reading about the friendship that developed between the two reluctant pen pals.
I choose this book for her for the cultural tie-ins and for the confidence building aspects. The main character Jenny has to think of a different solution to reach her pen-pal when she discovers that Sameera cannot write English well; while Sameera has to learn to believe in her abilities and not fear writing. Both characters grow not only as students, but also as self-confident individuals. A very positive read for any child.