Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Summary - Clementine is a lovely, and lively, tale of a young girl who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Following Clementine through one very adventurous week, the reader is shown the power of imagination, friendship, and family in a fun and amusing manner. From the "hair incident" with Margaret at the end through the "great pigeon wars", Clementine does things in her own time and way, but the good humor and candid approach Clementine takes with just about everything (including trips to the Principal's office!) offer readers a fresh approach to understanding a hyperactive child.
Impressions - Clementine is a fairly carefree and easy to read book with engaging pictures and short vignette chapters which will please children of any age and both genders. The characterization of Clementine opens the story for identification by a high percentage of children (especially those who are considered 'active') and the humorous scenarios will keep children engaged and eager to read more. The underlying warmth of Clementine's family and friendships (even through misunderstandings) shines through and will give kids reassurance in that no matter what the situation, or trouble-making, they will be loved and appreciated. I especially liked how even Clementine's relationships with adults at school are both rooted in reality and reassuringly positive. The friendship between Margaret and Clementine and the one she has with her baby brother (of the infamous vegetable names) are realistic, but positive at their heart in such a way as to maintain the air of idealism that persists in the story. Children will both identify with Clementine and walk away believing that everything will turn out right, which is a pretty good position to offer from a children's book!
Reviews - While Vikk Simmons at Blogcritic.org (1) finds Pennypacker's voice in Clementine "very real and very strong", she considers Clementine a "fun read" and thinks that the character will become a hit among the "7-10" age group with them clamoring for more and grander adventures. Vikk appreciates how the illustrations tie well into the text and are engaging for readers, yet not distracting or attempting to stand on their own and overall highly recommends this raucous tale of the little "hard" girl "who slides from one disaster to another".
Use - This book would find its best audience in a mid-elementary aged group, especially in a school setting. The text is easy enough for wide comprehension, but detailed enough to advance readers comprehension abilities, and the pictures are scattered nicely throughout to draw attention to, vice away from, the text. Adults dealing with ADHD or ADD children groups may especially find their kids identifying with Clementine and her attention 'issues' and gain confidence from the positive portrayal of her relationships and abilities.
(1) Simmons, V. (2006, September 29). Book review: Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-clementine-by-sara-pennypacker/
No comments:
Post a Comment