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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | PULVER | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Lyons Public Library | E/K PUL | Searching... Unknown |
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Searching... Newberg Public Library | CONCEPTS PULVER | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Wretched...dumb...a pain! Mr. Wright's class thinks silent letters should be banned because they make spelling too tricky. but when the unappreciated letters decide to go on strike, the class realizes how important the letters really are. Both new and experienced spellers will appreciate this dynamic book from the creators of Punctuation Takes a Vacation and Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day.
Author Notes
Robin Pulver is a popular picture book author whose website is robinpulver.com. She lives in upstate New York.
Lynn Rowe Reed writes and illustrates picture books and lives in Indiana. You can visit her website at lynnrowereed.com
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Mr. Wright's students are frustrated by silent letters. "We can't hear them, so who needs them? They should be banned!" proclaim the students in an email to the newspaper. Overhearing the complaints and feeling wretched, the silent letters sneak out of the email, leaving it nonsensical and riddled with embarrassing spelling mistakes. Once it's published, Mr. "Rit's" students see the error of their ways and realize silent letters are "mighty fine," not "mity fin." Pulver's latest grammar lesson (Holiday House, 2008) can be a fun accompaniment to what could otherwise be a pedantic word study. Lynn Rowe Reed's bright and inventive letters are made of an array of odds and ends, textures and media. The silent letters in the text are printed in a simple outline-only font. Children may have an "aha!" moment if they see the email-abandoned by the insulted letters-written out before they begin the story. A spoken-only preface encourages listeners to imagine silent letters all having different personalities and voices. John Beach's narration varies with each letter and character and his pacing pairs well with the non-linear text patterns. The story is enhanced with background sounds, subtle music, and sound effects. Page-turn signals are optional.-Jane Newschwander, Fluvanna County Public Schools, VA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Primary) Following Punctuation Takes a Vacation (rev. 5/03) and Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day (rev. 5/06), silent letters get a turn to make themselves heard in Mr. Wright's class. Frustrated with these hard-working yet reticent letters, Mr. Wright's students e-mail the newspaper to propose banning them: "We can't hear them, so who needs them?" The answer is amusingly obvious when the offended letters abandon the e-mail just before it's sent. What's printed in the paper prompts an editorial decrying the "spelling crisis in our schools" and calling for "Mr. Rit" to be fired. Readers who are familiar with this spelling scourge will enjoy being in on the joke, and Mr. Wright's uncertain fate (happily resolved) adds a dose of drama to the absurd situation. The playful design points up the silent letters within the text, and the faux-naive mixed-media illustrations give both human and letter characters lots of personality. Hiding in the supply closet, the silent letters comment very briefly on English language evolution: "Those kids shouldn't blame us; we used to be pronounced, once upon a time." Mr. Wright gets it right when he encourages his students (and readers) to improve with practice: "Good spellers are made, not born." From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Pulver and Reed have once again managed to craft a book so clever and fun that both teachers and students alike will be enthralled (Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day, 2006, etc.). Even though the silent letters never make a fuss or complain, Mr. Wright's class still does not appreciate them. In fact, the students have had it with silent letters and the difficulty they cause in spelling lessons. They express their opinion in a perfectly typed letter to the editor, but just before they hit send, the dumbfounded silent letters sneak out and hide. Chaos ensues, but then the silent letters parade out of the closet, finally to get the credit they deserve. Within the text itself, silent letters are highlighted whenever they appear. Reed combines acrylic paint with collage to maximum effect: Each of the silent letters has a personality all its own, while her cartoon stick figures convey all the emotion and energy needed to carry the story. Knuckle down and purchase this book or teachers will make your lives wretched. (Picture book. 4-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
As Mr. Wright introduces his school class to silent letters in words such as knee, wrong, thumb, pterodactyl, and orange, little personified letters quietly creep into the classroom and take their mute places in the words. The students, however, don't see the charm or the usefulness of silent letters. In fact, Cate shoots off an e-mail to the local newspaper to complain. When the silent letters disappear from her message, though, the printed letter is quite embarrassing. Despite the students' heartfelt complaints, it's hard not to sympathize with the little silent letters, distinctively formed of realia such as rope and brushes, given expressive faces, and added to Reed's bold, childlike paintings. Most students will at least see the letters' point of view by the end of this good-natured picture book. From the author and illustrator of Punctuation Takes a Vacation (2003) and Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day (2006).--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist