The Girl Who Hated Books [Hardcover]

Manjusha Pawagi (Author), Leanne Franson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Meena hates books. Her parents have books everywhere --they're always in the way -- stacked on dressers, stashed in drawers, even piled on the sofa. One day Meena upsets a very tall pile of children's books, and out from the pages tumble an incredible assortment of characters: princesses, fairies, frogs, and rabbits. None of them know which books they belong to and in order to help them find their way home, Meena has to -- read! As she reads the books one by one, she's transformed into a book-lover.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2Meena is more than a reluctant reader. She abhors books. Even though her parents are avid bibliophiles and her house is filled with reading material, the girl refuses to open a book. Her only ally is Max, the family cat, who has been book phobic ever since an atlas fell on his tail. Only a household accident that sends volumes flying and characters cascading out of books can change Meenas mind. Pawagis light, ironic touch will amuse children and Meena is a well-drawn character who appeals to the defiant streak in all of them. The watercolor illustrations match the romping mood of the story although their placement on every other page becomes monotonous. There is a definite moral to this inventive tale: children who dont read are missing out on some great adventures.Barbara Buckley, Jericho Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Here's a premise that many children--and their parents--will relate to. Meena's parents love books, but Meena hates them. That's especially bad because there are books all over the house--in drawers, on the sofa, but mostly stacked to the ceiling. When Meena's cat winds up on top of one of the tallest towers, Meena tries to rescue him. Instead, she knocks the books over. Down they crash, and out of the pages fly Humpty Dumpty, Ali Baba, Peter Rabbit, and other literary types. Meena tries to stuff them back in their books, but she doesn't know where they belong, never having read any of their stories. So she reads the books, and by the time she's finished bringing the characters back home, she already misses them. Happily, she realizes that all she has to do to see them again is open the book and read. Pawagi cleverly tucks her message into a story that brims with appeal. Although not as wildly inventive as they might have been, the watercolor pictures are nicely crowded, with books and/or book characters. A useful volume to have on hand. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Beyond Words Publishing (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582700060
• ISBN-13: 978-1582700069
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,712,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful children's story of themagical joy of reading., November 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Girl Who Hated Books (Hardcover)

A humerous tale of a young girl who hates books and can't escape them in her house - they are EVERYWHERE. But Meena discovers you can't judge a book by it's cover.As she attempts to rescue her cat from atop a tower of books she has refused to read, characters literally fall from the pages to find themselves confused and lost. When they look to Meena to help them back home she realizes she has no idea where they go. What's a girl to do? The solution of course is remarkably simple and Meena finds herself enthralled by the very books she ignored for so long. A wonderful tale of the magic of books. Children should enjoy the colorful illustrations especially of the bookstrewn household and the many charcters that Meena has to help home.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Girl Who Hated Books, September 16, 2011

By 

Stef - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Girl Who Hated Books (Paperback)

This is a delightful book about a girl who thought she didn't like books. My students think they can relate, but as we near the end, they realize that just like the little girl, they too would miss the amazing journeys they take when reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Super books, July 15, 2011

By 

Cookie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Girl Who Hated Books (Paperback)

This is a wonderful little book for children who think that they don't like to read. Great illustrations and a delightful story!