The John Hancock Club - Hardcover

Louise Borden graduated from Denison University with a degree in history. She taught first graders and preschoolers and later was a part-owner of a bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to writing children’s books, she also speaks regularly to young students about the writing process. Her books include Good Luck, Mrs. K!, which won the Christopher Medal, and The A+ Custodian. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you can visit her at LouiseBorden.com.

Adam Gustavson is a graduate of Rowan University and the Master of Fine Arts Illustration program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. In addition to illustrating picture books, he currently teaches at Passaic County Community College and Seton Hall University. He lives and paints in West Orange, New Jersey, with his wife, their children, several guitars, and a ferret named Gracie.

Grade 1–3—Most of the children in Sean's class have been looking forward to third grade and learning cursive writing. Sean, however, is worried that third grade is "going to take a lot more thinking than second grade had." Nevertheless, he soon becomes excited about his classroom activities. His teacher tells the children about John Hancock and explains that they will be invited to join "The John Hancock Club" when they have mastered cursive. The text is written in short segments and bursts of dialogue to engage reluctant and transitional readers. One quibble: the Caucasian principal and teacher are called Mr. Meeker and Mrs. Tovani, while the African-American cook is simply Rose to both students and teachers. Gustavson's vibrant watercolor illustrations depict a multiethnic group of students and pleasant school scenes. Mr. Meeker is shown getting into the Hancock spirit with his tricorn hat and American-flag tie. Real examples of cursive are incorporated into the page design. The back jacket helpfully features a reproduction of the Declaration of Independence. Borden provides gentle lessons about how new skills take practice to master and how worrying about something can be worse than actually doing it. Many children will relate to Sean's experience.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.