A good story, I have to admit, I found it interesting how they ran the spelling bee as a team. It was a new idea to me, and I could see how it would cause tension in children. Especially if a good speller was linked with some not so good spellers.
Simon learned that competition with a team was an interesting challenge that required some give and take, and his friend learned that smart kids make mistakes too, sometimes even on purpose!
Could my son have read this book by himself? Sure... but it was fun to read it together and during the spelling test I would stop and give him two different ways of spelling a word and then ask... so which do you think is right? Sometimes he was right, and sometimes well... let's just say we haven't done a lot of spelling work. :)
I have to admit that I liked the illustrations contained within Simon Ellis. They are done in black/white, but the facial expressions are so real, they bring the characters to life. I have to admit, my son thought the principal would look different. :) | Simon Ellis was a fun read, I'll look for more Claudia Mills books for my lad to enjoy. |
Simon Ellis, Spelling Bee Champ Author: Claudia Mills Illustrator: Rob Shepperson Square Fish 6.11 x 7.58 · 160 pages Ages 7-10 years Reviewed for: Raincoast Books |