A prime example of great writing but not…

A prime example of great writing but not a great story or a great contribution to the field of children’s literature, book 98 has such potential, but falls short. So many sentences with wonderful cadences and just masterfully constructed: not complex sentence structures or advanced vocabulary, but you just know that the author took care to write and “listen” to the rhythm of each sentence — to convey humor, to excite, to elicit empathy, and to show character traits. But in the end, the book is just a series of character portraits and vignettes loosely threaded by one central (but not really) character’s “adventures.” There is a gentle and deep theme that I really appreciate and can see it being dissected and discussed and made more meaningful in a classroom setting if the book is required reading — but I don’t know how many young readers will pick it up, read it, and love it. As I write these words — I realized that actually I liked the book more than I had first thought… and that it might just be a book that WILL be loved by children. I’m going to test it out on my young students! (And yes, it is getting closer to that time … nominations…. and I’m second guessing myself every moment these days…. I don’t think I can judge books and their qualities any more… PANIC!!!!)