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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Friday, May 27, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and forty-seven

Sometimes it isn't easy to teach children right from wrong, especially when one is struggling. The accepted rules of behavior are often ignored at such times. In this book, award winning author Karen Hesse tells the story of three children who learn an important lesson.

Karen Hesse
Illustrated by Wendy Watson
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Scholastic, 2008, 978-0-439-87993-4
   Jack, Maybelle, and Eddie live with their mother, who is working the night shift tonight. Lately she has been working so hard that “she got nothin’ left over” for herself or her children. Maybelle, who is the eldest, decides that they should go to Mr. Kenney’s potato field to glean the potatoes that the harvester left behind. After all, not to take them would be “just plain wasteful.”
   As they walk to Mr. Kenney’s field, Maybelle rhapsodizes about all the wonderful things Ma will be able to make using the potatoes that they are going to get. When they get to the field, the children set about collecting as many potatoes as they can with only the light of the moon to guide them.
   Tired but happy, they make their way home through the frost covered countryside. When they get home, Jack spills the contents of their bags on the floor, which is when he discovers the horrible truth. Most of what they collected are rocks!
   In this beautifully written picture book, Newbery Award winning author Karen Hesse takes us into the home of poor family whose members are having a hard time making ends meet. Readers will be moved as they see how the three children try to help out, and they will understand the lesson the children learn as a result of their actions.
   Accompanied by Wendy Watson’s lovely illustrations, this is a story that will give young readers something meaningful to think about. 

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