THE JUNKYARD WONDERS, by Patricia Polacco Posted by Mrs. Schauer

THE JUNKYARD WONDERS

by Patricia Polacco

AR: Not Yet (Not published yet--available in July, 2010)

Interest Level: Lower Grades and Up

I got this book at a conference, and was thrilled just to get my hands on a new Patricia Polacco book, because she is my number 1, all time favorite children's author. THANK YOU MR. FALKER is on my list of top 5 favorite books--and I've read a LOT of books! Anyway, when I started reading this one, I was expecting to love it--but I was NOT expecting it to contain more of Tricia's story from THANK YOU MR FALKER! (Imagine me, doing a happy dance)

The story opens the year after Tricia learned to read. Her divorced parents had decided to let her move to Michigan to live with her dad for a year because she didn't want to go to school in California anymore, where the kids knew her "when she was dumb." She was all excited to be in a new school with people who didn't know she used to be in special classes. But when she got there the first day, everyone just stared at her. Then when kids found out which class she was in...well...I don't want to give the story away, but I will say that her new classroom had the nickname of "The Junkyard."

I love, love, loved this book as much as I knew that I would. The artwork is beautiful, as always--and the story made me cry...always the sign of a truly good book!

I hope to have this one in the library by the time school starts next year!