This weekend, I moved
Letters to Leo by Amy Hest to the top of my "TBR" (To be read) pile and I am so glad I did! Without spoiling any parts of the book, it is about a fourth grade girl, Annie Rossi, who has always wanted a dog of her very own, but her father has never been a fan of dogs. He finally gives in after her mother passes away. Annie is so excited to have her own dog, Leo, that she begins to write him letters daily about her reflections about school, her father, her friendships, her mother, and about how she wants Leo to be a "model citizen". This book is written in the form of letters to Leo and includes some labeled sketches as well.
During this book, the reader really gets to know Annie and her point of view on many situations in school and at home. I also love how Amy Hest brings in parts of the teaching and learning that is happening in her classroom as well, such as using "juicy words" in writing to be more descriptive, writing poetry, and meeting an author. This book is definitely a must read for kids in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade - they will fall in love with Annie and her dog Leo!
Happy Reading! :)
I loved Letters to Leo too! I grabbed an ARC at NCTE but didn't actually read it until a few months ago. It is a perfect book for middle graders.
ReplyDeleteI like books written in letter format. This book sounds unique. Plus, it's always great to find quality middle grade books. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the premise of Letters to Leo. Definitely sounds worthy of promoting in the TBR!
ReplyDeleteLove your Letters to Leo mini-review. I will definitely use to to sell the book to kids- thank you :)
ReplyDeleteHappy reading this week!