MARAGOLD IN FOURTH

Maragold in Fourth is a wonderful book. The plot line is age appropriate with an amazing story. The book provides an excellent resource to use with children whose parents are divorced or about to divorce. By allowing Matt to know that his parents' divorce was not his fault Mara helps ease some of the pain that Matt had inflected on himself. As a teacher, I see this type of behavior all of the time from students who are facing a divorce and this book has provided me a resource I can use to help approach the subject with them before it gets out of hand.

The author has drawn on his years of experience as a teacher to skillfully mix humor and serious subjects in a manner that will appeal to young readers. It is an amusing book that teaches serious lessons about life without sounding didactic. It is a book that children will definately enjoy, and I hope that Mr. Sheehan has other books in the works.

This book is different than most books written for children, but that difference is quite good. If a child has enjoyed the book: THE TWITS, then he/she will enjoy this humorous, uniquely authentic, happily weird, and sometimes mildly gross story. Now that is exactly what a fourth grade student wants to read.