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Rating: 
Summary: Book #1--good basis for the Polk Street Series
Review: Giff set this series off to a good start with this book 1. I read it when I was 9. It came in the mail from Weekly Reader Books (my dad sent away for those for me!) Every month I got books in the mail and this was one of them. At the time I didn't know it was a series, though. A year after reading this book I could feel for Richard "Beast" when I, too, was left back (it was for circumstances beyond my control, but still!) In this book, Beast struggles to survive and fit in, suffers losing his friends, who advanced to the next grade and reject him. This book is so good!
Rating:
Summary: The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room
Review: I thought this book was excellent because in the end Beast did his best! In the beginning, Beast was not paying attention. Beast was a left-back. I really liked when Beast helped his class to win the banner.
Rating:
Summary: The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room
Review: Reilly has a well-formed beginning and middle, but the end feels rushed and incomplete. So many different characters are introduced that there is little time to see them develop. The illustrations nicely complement the story and may help those with struggling imaginations or who read so slowly that they forget the story. The illustrations are spread through the text very well - it is never more than two or three pages before the next one. This means young readers will be turning pages more often and feel they are making progress. The story deals with some children who are sent out of the classroom for remedial reading. This may encourage readers older than my suggested late first to early third grade level. Why 3 stars?:
The story is completely plot-driven. Even at this beginning stage of reading children are still capable of meaningful discussion of what they are reading, but this book doesn't provide much material for it. If kids don't associate the higher thinking that comes from reading, it will be viewed as a chore and they will no longer enjoy it. This book does not encourage students to get excited about reading, or share it with others.
Rating: 
Summary: A beast of a book
Review: Reilly has a well-formed beginning and middle, but the end feels rushed and incomplete. So many different characters are introduced that there is little time to see them develop. The illustrations nicely complement the story and may help those with struggling imaginations or who read so slowly that they forget the story. The illustrations are spread through the text very well - it is never more than two or three pages before the next one. This means young readers will be turning pages more often and feel they are making progress. The story deals with some children who are sent out of the classroom for remedial reading. This may encourage readers older than my suggested late first to early third grade level. Why 3 stars?:
The story is completely plot-driven. Even at this beginning stage of reading children are still capable of meaningful discussion of what they are reading, but this book doesn't provide much material for it. If kids don't associate the higher thinking that comes from reading, it will be viewed as a chore and they will no longer enjoy it. This book does not encourage students to get excited about reading, or share it with others.
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