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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Scrapbook pages sure to interest readers
By JoAn Martin
Baytown Sun Published July 11, 2004 Danziger, Paula. “United Tates of America.” New York. Scholastic. 2002. 121 pages plus Scrapbook Art. $5.99. ISBN 0-59069222-4
Skate Tate who attends Biddle Middle School sounds like a Dr. Seuss book but it’s not. Sarah Kate, nicknamed Skate, hates change, but is beginning sixth grade in a new school.
Skate’s passion is art. She and her friends are heavily into scrapbooking. Her group meets together to work and trade supplies and are called the Happy Scrappers.
With a little sister, Emily, a college history teacher for a father and an understanding mother, Skate thinks her driving ambition to be art director on her school newspaper is her only problem.
Great-Uncle Mort (GUM) for short is the adventurous sort, always traveling, sending exotic presents, visiting often. Gum even agrees to speak to Skate’s class and bring in artifacts he has collected. But when he parks in the principal’s parking space, Skate is worried that he will be in big trouble.
When Gum is home and talking to Skate, he encourages her to be a risky kid, to take chances, try new things, take unusual pictures for her scrapbook.
Skate intended to take an art class so when she ends up in industrial art building a birdhouse, she delays and doodles instead of doing what the teacher asks. She finally gets an idea of how to decorate the Dew Drop Inn ... the Rest Nest with a wise old owl at the information desk. Another sign will say, “No Feather Pillows.”
When the worst change of all happens in Skate’s life, she’s not sure she can even survive. But the opportunity to travel and use the pictures and information in a travel article for the school paper helps her to move on. She realizes that even when she is anxious, she must go ahead and not be afraid of what’s around the corner. She thinks this is the most grown-up thought she has ever had.
Paula Danziger has written an amusing story about middle school characters and their love of wordplay and puns. The story is illustrated with 32 scrapbook pages that will be sure to start young people on the art of scrapbooking.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.
Baytown Sun Published July 11, 2004 Danziger, Paula. “United Tates of America.” New York. Scholastic. 2002. 121 pages plus Scrapbook Art. $5.99. ISBN 0-59069222-4
Skate Tate who attends Biddle Middle School sounds like a Dr. Seuss book but it’s not. Sarah Kate, nicknamed Skate, hates change, but is beginning sixth grade in a new school.
Skate’s passion is art. She and her friends are heavily into scrapbooking. Her group meets together to work and trade supplies and are called the Happy Scrappers.
With a little sister, Emily, a college history teacher for a father and an understanding mother, Skate thinks her driving ambition to be art director on her school newspaper is her only problem.
Great-Uncle Mort (GUM) for short is the adventurous sort, always traveling, sending exotic presents, visiting often. Gum even agrees to speak to Skate’s class and bring in artifacts he has collected. But when he parks in the principal’s parking space, Skate is worried that he will be in big trouble.
When Gum is home and talking to Skate, he encourages her to be a risky kid, to take chances, try new things, take unusual pictures for her scrapbook.
Skate intended to take an art class so when she ends up in industrial art building a birdhouse, she delays and doodles instead of doing what the teacher asks. She finally gets an idea of how to decorate the Dew Drop Inn ... the Rest Nest with a wise old owl at the information desk. Another sign will say, “No Feather Pillows.”
When the worst change of all happens in Skate’s life, she’s not sure she can even survive. But the opportunity to travel and use the pictures and information in a travel article for the school paper helps her to move on. She realizes that even when she is anxious, she must go ahead and not be afraid of what’s around the corner. She thinks this is the most grown-up thought she has ever had.
Paula Danziger has written an amusing story about middle school characters and their love of wordplay and puns. The story is illustrated with 32 scrapbook pages that will be sure to start young people on the art of scrapbooking.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.