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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.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

The joys of summer camp

When many children think of summer, they think of vacations, eating ice cream, sleeping late, and summer camp. My daughter is going to a wide variety of day summer camps this summer, and so far she has had a great time. Last year I reviewed a delightful picture book that is about the adventures two boys have during a week long summer getaway.

A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever
Marla Frazee
Picture Book
Ages 6 to 9
Harcourt, 2008, 978-0-15-206020-6
James and Eamon are going to have a week of nature camp together. They are going to stay at James’ grandparents’ house at the beach. James is pretty excited because he has never been away from home for a whole week before.
Their first day at nature camp isn’t that exciting but the time that the boys spend together afterwards at the house is great. The food that Pam (James’ grandmother) makes is wonderful and Bill (James’ grandfather) is a good sport even if he does go on about Antarctica and penguins rather a lot.
With each passing day the boys get closer. They don’t really get that much out of nature camp but they have a terrific time playing games, watching T.V. and not spending any time on the beach.
In this delightful summer title Marla Frazee truly captures with great skill and humor the essence of little boy doings. Anyone who has ever spent any amount of time with little boys will recognize the behaviors and thinking processes of these two children. Parents will see how fruitless it is to try to steer little boys into a certain direction, and children will laugh to see how much fun James and Eamon have in spite of their nature camp activities.
The wonderful illustrations in the book compliment the text perfectly, catching the nuances of little boy shenanigans and games. Don’t forget to look at the ‘photo gallery’ inside the front and back covers of the book.
The book was a Caldecott Honor book for 2009. You can find out more about the author and her books on her website.

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