Cover Image: Cecilia's Fundraiser

Cecilia's Fundraiser

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Member Reviews

There's a class fundraiser, but our heroine has left the tamales she was supposed to be selling at it back at home. What is there to do? Well, stop all ideas of learning anything, and get the entire class to magic up something completely different, but also something quite wonderful. I won't spoil the reveal, for this will succeed with the very young – those in that halfway house of going from two hundred words per book up to two hundred words per page. I liked the great economy in which the quandary was set up – we're not told she's excited for the day, or what she's seeing everyone else bring, she's just out BANG with her upset, and we move on from there. There are at least three further books in this ultra-ethnic class, which on this evidence look like providing the same – finely illustrated, nurturing little stories with class discussion material and activities for the adults to consult with in the end-matter.

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This was my first peek into Mr. Grizley’s Class and I loved it! Bryan Patrick Avery and Ariel Putra have done a lovely job combining an easy-to-follow story with striking illustrations. Our story follows young Cecilia, a student in Mr. Grizley’s class, who has forgotten to bring her homemade tamales to a class fundraiser. Cecilia is able to communicate those feelings with her teacher who, along with her classmates, supports Cecilia as she brainstorms new ways to make money for the fundraiser.

This is a short story divided into three brief chapters. I enjoyed the message of the story and felt that the text was well-divided between pages with easy to follow illustrations for early readers. I was grateful for the representation of Mr. Grizley as a Black male teacher in addition to the inclusive and diverse classroom. This is a book where all children can see themselves represented! The book also includes a much-appreciated activity for the reader to complete after finishing.

I think this book could be minorly improved by taking into consideration the grade level. At the time I read this, it was labelled for K-2 and I believe it would be more appropriate for 1st-3rd grade readers.

I am a pediatric speech-language pathologist and feel this book would also work well for addressing literacy skills, emotions/feelings, and problem-solving. This is a book that I would purchase for my classroom or child.

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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