No Valentines for Katie

March 1, 2011

K-Gr 2-In Katie Saves Thanksgiving, the second grader's guests are stuck in the snow and the family oven goes on the fritz. Fortunately, while shoveling her neighbor's walk, Katie learns that the woman will be all alone for the holiday, and her oven works just fine. In No Valentines, Katie's teacher has the students draw names, asks them to make a valentine for that person, and to include a compliment. Katie becomes so involved in making her valentine for the new student in her class that she forgets to put her name and the boy's valentine in the box. The compliments are then exchanged verbally, and they become friends. Each page features a colorful illustration and large-print, short sentences. The stories have a message without being heavy-handed, using simple language and incidents relevant to students' lives. Each book includes discussion questions and a craft or baked item to make.-Sarah Provence, Churchill Road Elementary School, McLean, VA

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