Tag: service

REVIEW: Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales and Gabriela Epstein

REVIEW: Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales and Gabriela Epstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Five Latino students are dumped together to do community service in their middle school cafeteria. Through their service hours they learn to look past their assumptions about one another while also trying to help someone in need.

Review

This is an excellent, richly layered story! I love how they told so much in both English and Spanish (The author’s note on this is excellent – don’t miss it!) And the storyline of helping someone else both pulled the five individuals into a team, but it also balanced the rest of the story which focuses on the challenges for the five kids.

This would be an excellent addition to a classroom or library graphic novel collection. Also a fun addition to Spanish classes! This would be a fantastic choice for a book group where each reader could read a copy and discuss together the various layers of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Water Princess by Susan Verde

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A clean water story based on the life of model Georgie Badiel. The “water princess” is an African girl who walks miles each day with her mother to get water for her family. The day is consumed with transporting water – dirty water. If only there was a better way….

the-water-princess

Review

First of all, this book is gorgeous. Peter H. Reynolds always does phenomenal work and The Water Princess is no exception. The colors are rich. I love the facial expressions he gives Gie Gie! The story is also so well done. The writing is tight, gently communicating Gie Gie’s frustration and longing. There are end notes  with photos of the quest for water in places like Burkina Faso, Africa. In addition, there are also websites cited where readers can go for information on Georgie Badiel’s foundation and a clean water charity called Ryan’s Well. I checked out both sites, and the work being done is inspiring.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

This would be a great book for families to read and talk about charity and service to help others. The two foundations are a great way for families to turn that conversation into action.

This book could do the same thing in classrooms and schools. The Water Princess could be a rallying cry for children to band together and make a tangible difference for children in another part of the world. Ryan’s Well Foundation started with the dream of a six-year-old boy. How inspiring is that!?