Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Prairie School
Illustrator: Bill Farnsworth
Fiction
For ages 5 to 7
HarperCollins, 2003 ISBN: 978-0060513184
Noah and his family have moved fromMaineto the open and gently rolling prairie ofColorado. Noah has lots of chores to do for the family, but he also has a little time to go out riding on the prairie and he has come to love the place with its great sky and open space. Then Noah’s aunt Dora comes to visit. Noah’s parents tell him that Aunt Dora is coming toColoradoto be his teacher. Neither of Noah’s parents have had much of an education and they want more for their son; they want Noah to be able to read well, and to be able to work with numbers.
Aunt Dora soon finds out that her nephew is not a willing pupil. In fact, Noah does his best to avoid his aunt and to get out of attending her classes. Then Aunt Dora discovers how to reach Noah, how to catch his attention and show him that being able to read and write opens up a whole new world for a person.
For this book Avi has created a very simple story with short chapters but he has also created a story that is engaging and entertaining. Avi shows the reader how vital it is to learn how to read, and how much your life changes when you can read and thus learn about the world. The story not only challenges a young reader’s reading skills but it also highlights the fact that reading is a gift that is full of promise.
