Bildner,
Phil. A
Whole New Ballgame. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss 2015
243p
$15.99
ISBN 978-0-374-30130-9 elem/ms Realistic Fiction E-BN
If someone was looking for the
absolutely all-inclusive book for grades 4-5, this is it. The new teacher is completely unconventional. The students represent multiple nationalities and
races. One has autism and one is in a
wheelchair. But it all works. Throw in basketball practices and games, and
interfering parents, and that sums up this title.
The banter among the students sounds true. Their interests and reactions are completely
real. The unconventional teacher is a
bit way out there, but he is effective.
The basketball lingo is sometimes beyond this reviewer, but the boys who are into basketball will gobble
it up. The students learn how to accept differences and work with them,
and they score
very well on standardized tests due to the enthusiasm and interest the teacher
had instilled in them. It is great to see
innovative, creative teaching validated.
Boys who are into basketball in grades
4-6 will love this book.
Summary: A unconventional teaching style, basketball, autism, and life in a
wheelchair: it’s all in this title written
for boys in grade 4-5.
Basketball-Fiction,
School-Fiction, Autism-Fiction --Joan
Theal
No comments:
Post a Comment