Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

Rediscovering Life after Retirement

  • Craft
    and create
    • Craft and Create
      Crafting and cookery and other creative Did It Myself endeavors.
  • Family
    and friends
    • Family and Friends
      Doing what I love with those I love most.
  • Fashion
    forays
    • Fashion Forays
      Revamping myself from the outside in.
  • Life
    and style
    • Life and Style
      Adventures from various chapters in my life – past, present, future.
  • Love
    yourself
    • Love Yourself
      Rediscovering who I am and my journey along the way.
  • Reviews
    and reflection
    • Reviews and Reflection
      Book, movie, product reviews and reflections.

October 24, 2016

31 Days of Children’s Books, Day 24

31 Days of Children's Books, Day 24

Sweet friends,

Here we are again with another installment of “31 Days of Children’s Books”.  Guess what happens this time next week?  Well, Halloween.  Yes, that’s true.  But it will also be the last day of this series.  Who’s counting? ME!!! This challenge has been…a challenge.  There’s light at the end of the tunnel, though.  And some great books to share between now and then.

So, this week I am sharing books with female main characters.  Today’s book, Firegirl by Tony Abbott, is kind of the exception to that.

31 Days of Children's Books, Day 24

[source]

Firegirl has two main characters, a girl and a boy, which ensures the book’s appeal to both audiences.   Tom is a self-described “sweaty, fat kid” who kind of drifts along generally unnoticed by the other seventh grade students. His long friendship with Jeff is taxed when Jeff’s becomes preoccupied with his parents’ separation.  And his crush on the popular Courtney is unreciprocated.

Enter Jessica.  A new student to St. Catherine’s.  But not your typical new girl.  Jessica has been badly burned in a fire.  She and her family have moved to town so that Jessica can undergo skin grafting at the area hospital.  Mrs. Tracy attempts to prepare her students for the arrival of their new classmate.  But Jessica is much more disfigured than the children expected and their reaction to Jessica is often less than kind.

This is the story of a friendship that tentatively buds then blooms between Tom and Jessica during the few weeks they are in class together.  Abbott’s examination of the effect of Jessica’s presence on the entire class is candid and powerful.  The other children’s reaction to Jessica is portrayed accurately without sugar-coating.  Fear, cruelty, indifference.  But Tom has always felt like an invisible outsider, himself, and his empathetic reaction to Jessica’s condition becomes the basis for their friendship.

While Firegirl doesn’t end with a happily ever after, the lives of Tony Abbott’s well-drawn characters and the lives of the book’s readers, will be forever changed.

I was able to find several literature guides to accompany a study of this 2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Master List nominee.  This book was also on the Ohio State book list and there is a summary of the book, author’s resources and discussion questions available through Read Ohio, here.

Firegirl Toolkit

Kids’ Wings offers an entire unit to use with Firegirl, including research links, a bibliography of books about coping with problems, and books on fire safety.  Several of the books listed on the Kids’ Wings bibliography are books I have shared with my students.  Good Luck, Mrs. K. by Louise Borden and One-Handed Catch by M.J. Auch, both past Bluebonnet nominees.

Meet Tony Abbott, here.  Pick up your copy of Firegirl, here.  And then please come back HERE tomorrow for another review.

Hugs and kisses,

leslie

Get Updates

Filed Under: Reviews and Reflection, Uncategorized Tagged With: #31DaysofChildren'sBooks, #31DaysofWriting, #Bookreviews, #Firegirl, #TexasBluebonnetAward, #TexasLibraryAssociation, #Titletalk, #TonyAbbott, Uncategorized

Older
Newer

Comments

  1. AvatarAndrea@WellnessNotes says

    October 24, 2016 at 4:55 am

    Sounds like an emotional story that makes you think and possibly examine your own life. I like that it has a boy and a girl as main characters. I’ll keep this in mind for the kid.

    Reply
  2. AvatarWhitney a la mode says

    October 24, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Isn’t it so hard when you start a blog series and then struggle to get through it! I’m feeling that way about my Rose Quartz monthly posts. But you are doing a great job and you are in the home stretch!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello

In what felt like the blink of an eye, I have gone from full-time wife to my sweet husband, hands-on mom to my two beautiful daughters and elementary school librarian to a retired, empty nester with lots of time on my hands. Join me on my journey to rediscover who I am. Glad you are here.

Let’s Be Friends

Be My Bloglovin’ Bud

Follow

Best of the Blog

  • wearing lately What I'm Wearing Lately 11.2019 posted on November 19, 2019
  • mini-Christmas bucket list My 2019 Mini-Christmas Bucket List posted on November 21, 2019
  • 10 Favorite Gifts Christmas Giveaway & 10 Favorite Gifts: 10 on the 10th posted on November 14, 2019
  • key pieces Fabulous after 50: Key Pieces for Your Wardrobe posted on December 4, 2019
  • Extreme Gratitude Thankful Thursday, 11.2019: Extreme Gratitude Edition posted on November 28, 2019

Archives

Search

Disclosure

Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After occasionally uses affiliate links. This means that if you click a link provided we may receive a very small commission. Thank you for your support!

My GoodReads, Follow Me!

Reading

Alison & Aubrey Jewelry

Shop here.

Winter 2019 Capsule Wardrobe – Click to Register

Put On a Fresh New Face

Register here for complete class access and all shopping list recommendations. Learn to use new tools to update your look.

Sentence a Day

Sentence a Day, 12.2018

Short Story Prompt Link Up Party

Short Story Prompt Link Party Featured

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge


Wellness Wednesday

I’m A Featured Blogging Grandmother

Blogging Grandmothers Link Party Featured Blogger - A Link Party Exclusively for Blogging Grandmothers

Ageless Style Guest Host

Thursday Fashion Files Fashionista

Thursday-Fashion-Files-Side-Bar-150x150

Fancy Friday Fashion Link-Up

Nancy’s

Member of the Forever Fierce Revolution

Forever Fierce 2018: The Midlife Revolution

Let Your Fingers Do the Shopping




Shop til You Drop




Audible – I love it

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

Follow me on Instagram @onceuponatimehappilyeverafter

onceuponatimehappilyeverafter

In the blink of an eye, I've gone from full-time wife, hands-on mom & librarian to a retired, empty nester rediscovering who I am.

Instagram post 2197369160064152690_465725714 12.12.2019 Winnie sweater and  leopard pants from @jcrewfactory and @oldnavy vest, trends that are slightly outside my comfort zone! Thank you @_getyourprettyon for encouraging us to try new looks. 
#fashionover60 
#myfashionhaus 
#capsulewardrobe 
#getyourprettyon 
#lifeafterretirement 
#retiredlibrarian
Instagram post 2193240128191996206_465725714 12.06.2019 Glad to spend a few days with my mom. Do you think we look alike? 
#insta2019📸 
#motherlove 
#onceuponatimehappilyeverafter 
#daughterlove 
#tograndmothershousewego
Instagram post 2191610804087122339_465725714 12.04.2019 Key pieces for fashionistas over 50. 
#fashionover60 
#fashionafter50 
#myfashionhaus 
#insta201📸 
#onceuponatimehappilyeverafter 
#fashionablegrandma
Instagram post 2191608697523087866_465725714 12.04.2019 Registration is OPEN! Mommies and Mimis can be fashionable too. Add new pieces and perk up old faves in your winter wardrobe. 
Link in profile.
#gypostylechallenge 
#winter2019capsulewardrobe
#fashionover60 
#insta201📸 
#onceuponatimehappilyeverafter
Instagram post 2191115546844942443_465725714 12.03.2019 Troy, Ohio court house. Beautiful tile, marble and woodwork. 
#courthouse 
#insta201📸 
#onceuponatimehappilyeverafter
Instagram post 2188666794854933108_465725714 11.30.2019 Our little airport looking festive for Christmas at 5:00 am. Off to show our moms some love.
#daughterlove 
#motherlove 
#insta2019📸 
#onceuponatimehappilyeverafter
Load More...

FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST @ONCEUPONATIMEHAPPILYEVERAFTER

Plus de 40 idées mignonnes et ravissantes pour les ongles pailletés pour l'été - Page 3 de 40,  #idees #mignonnes #ongles #pailletes #ravissantesFrench Coconut PieDetalles BautizoJingle Juice will sleigh any holiday party. Get the recipe at Delish.com. #cranberry #alcohol #booze #boozy #cocktail #drinks #cranberryjuice #lime #drinkingideas #alcoholicbeverages #delishAlmond Joy Pie#toddlers #awesome #shelf #ideas #poses #easy ,  #Awesome #Easy #Ideas #Poses #Shelf #Toddlers
Follow Me on Pinterest More Pins

Site

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy

Categories

  • Craft
  • Family
  • Fashion
  • Life
  • Love
  • Reviews

Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email

Copyright © 2019 · Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.