A Review of a Children's Book

If your looking for a great book to read to your school aged child, I would love to recommend The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.

I love to read a chapter book to my children. They each have a wide variety of chapter books to choose from because I purchase them through the school scholastic. Because I have a 6 year old girl and a 9 year old boy, there choice in books are quite different so I read to them separately. I only read a chapter maybe two a night to keep them wanting more the next day. They, and I will admit, me too enjoy the stories so much. But this book about Edward Tulane is really special. Here is an excerpt:

Once, there was a china rabbit who was loved by a little girl. The rabbit went on an ocean journey and fell overboard and was rescued by a fisherman. He was buried under garbage and unburied by a dog. He traveled for a long time with the hoboes and worked for a short time as a scarecrow.

Once, there was a rabbit who loved a little girl and watched her die. The rabbit danced on the streets of Memphis. His head was broken open in a diner and was put together again by a doll mender. And the rabbit swore that he would not make the mistake of loving again.

Once there was a rabbit who danced in a garden in springtime with the daughter of the woman who had loved him at the beginning of his journey. The girl swung the rabbit as she danced in circles. Sometimes, they went so fast, the two of them, that it seemed as if they were flying. Sometimes, it seemed as if they both had wings.

Once, oh marvelous once, there was a rabbit who found his way home.

At the end of this book, I was so touched by this china rabbit, Edward, that I could not hold back the tears streaming down my face. There are few illustrations because it's the storyline that captivates you and will also captivate your child. My daughter often inquired about Edward during the day looking forward to hearing about what else would happen to him. This book accomplished what I wanted which is to give her a love for reading.

Lisa Fraley