Customer Reviews

Starring Grace

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What better way to elevate and captivate elementary readers than to provide them with a chapter book that utilizes a character familiar from the pre-school years!!! "Starring Grace" takes Grace to another level, a story rich in language and real-life situations.

The book does not "talk down" to its reader; in fact, it uses vocabulary that is challenging and enlightening: troupe, megaphone, eccentric, conspirator, machete, paramedic, tibia, bougainvillea, and trilby, to list a few. It also presents concepts that can spurn discussion as well as enhance the reader's life experiences: witness protection, internment, and divorce.

Grace's adventures also display cooperativeness and the power of a child's imagination.

It also introduces the reader to events in history: the first landing on the moon and the horrors of World War II (implied). The problems of the elderly and that group remaining vital in their "declining years" are also addressed within this simple framework of good storytelling.

And who would think that this would come from a book with such chapter titles as: "Grace and the Big Top", "Grace Goes on Safari", "Grace Blasts Off", and "Grace the Detective".

I will, most definitely, be adding this one to my classroom library and my home.

I recommend that you do the same.

Grace, a confident, happy, and imaginative little girl many of us have come to know and love from "Amazing Grace" and "Boundless Grace" is back! This time, however, we are treated to a chapter book, which is both good and bad news. The "bad" news is that the wonderful illustrations of the first two books are reduced to an occasional black-and-white sketch; OK, this reviewer will admit he has been spoiled! The good news is that readers of Mary Hoffman's earlier books ready to move on to the challenge of a chapter book have this new volume. Needless to say, the good far outweighs the bad.

"Starring Grace" continues the theme of how Grace excels, thanks to her perserverence, confidence, and support from a loving mother. School is out, and Grace and a handful of her friends who are unable to be afforded the luxury of summer camp have to find ways to keep themselves occupied. First, the children imagine the old house behind Grace's backyard is haunted and that its reclusive owner is a witch. When the elderly lady tells her surpising story, Grace and her friends realize she is not at all what she appears to be; they all become friends. However, the elderly lady's backyard, with its overgrowth of weeds sets the stage for the next adventure, a safari. Then, reaching for the stars, Grace imagines she is an astronaut, before returning to Earth as a doctor, just as she did in "Amazing Grace." After playing detective, Grace and her friends build a time machine; once again, Mrs. Myerson, the elderly lady, reveals important details of her life from which everyone learns. The book ends with Grace trying out for a role in a play, just as she did in the first book.

This is a story told with great sensitivity, with several surprises and plot twists to make for entertaining reading. "Starring Grace" is a star - a gold star.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat

the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

I liked when Grace and her friends went to the other yard
and pretended they were in the jungle.Because they got
suppiles and stuffed animals and pretended they were real.
At the end they pretended that the yard was a secrect
garden and cleaned it up for the old woman. That is why I like the book.

C.C.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat

the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

I liked the book alot.I liked the book because it's summer and I like summer, and Grace plays alot of fun games. I would enjoy playing the same games she played. I like when Grace got flowers. She stared in a play for children.

D.M.B

I liked when Grace goes next door and acts like she was in the jungle. That reminded me about when my sisters and I were exploring. I also like when she acted like she was at a circus because that reminded me of when my sisters and I were stacked on each others shoulders.

K.L.

My favorite part of this story was when Grace was pretending that the house next door was haunted.I've liked all of the Grace books,especially Staring Grace.The first book we read was Amazing Grace.The second book we read was Boundless Grace.And the third book was Staring Grace.I do not know what the next book will be, but I am really looking forward to it. THe first chapter was called Grace and the Big Top. It was about Grace acting out her own circus, and going to a real circus. Grace's circus was good for pretend! This chapter was bout Grace pretending the house next door was haunted. I"m glad no ghosts came out of the house. That would have been a scary part.

D.T.