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Guests | December 29, 2009

Alex Lemon: IMG Everyone Called Me "Happy"

0 comments By Alex Lemon

I have nystagmus and diplopia and chronic pain and ataxia, and I can tell that I'm nervous and excited that my new book is out today because all of... Continue »
  1. $17.50 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    Happy: A Memoir

    Alex Lemon

Julian's Glorious Summer (Stepping Stone Books)

by Ann Cameron

Julian's Glorious Summer (Stepping Stone Books) Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

"When his best friend, Gloria, gets a new bike, Julian (7) is dismayed: he doesn't want to learn to ride, because he's afraid of falling. In a satisfying conclusion, Julian gets his own bike as a reward for considerable labor, and then learns what fun it can be to ride. This is a perfectly constructed young reader, with neat turns in the plot, a loving family, and engaging dialogue."--(pointer) Kirkus.

Review:

"Librarians wanting stories with black protagonists will especially welcome this."--Booklist.

Synopsis:

Bicycles–shiny, whizzing, wobbly bicycles–scare Julian more than lions or tigers. But how can he tell that to his best friend, Gloria? She can already ride with no hands. So instead of telling the truth, Julian makes up a little fib. And he almost gets away with it–until his fib backfires and Julian finds himself in the biggest, most confounding fix ever.
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About the Author

Ann Cameron is the bestselling author of many popular books for children, including Julian, Secret Agent; Julian, Dream Doctor; The Stories Julian Tells; More Stories Julian Tells; The Stories Huey Tells; and More Stories Huey Tells.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
annalovesbooks, September 4, 2008 (view all comments by annalovesbooks)
ISBN 0394891171 - Any book that wins the Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year gets my attention and Julian's Glorious Summer took that prize in 1988. The lesson of Julian's story is one that all parents can appreciate.

Julian's summer takes a nosedive from the beginning, when his best friend Gloria rides up on her bicycle. She thinks it's great - he thinks it's scary. Not that he's about to say that! Instead, when Gloria invites him over to her house, Julian claims that his father will be forcing him to work day and night for the entire summer. His lie snowballs and, perhaps worse, his father seems to think this is a good idea and puts Julian to work immediately. One day, however, the work runs out - it's payday and Julian is in for yet another surprise this summer.

The back cover says Reading Level 2.8. This book is a nice way for a kid to learn how lying can backfire, but at the same time Julian ends up with quite a payoff for his lies, so the lesson can be a little vague and might merit further discussion. Julian's fear of riding a bike is not uncommon and might help your child face his or her own fear - of bikes or anything else. The illustrations, by Dora Leder, are black and white pencil sketches and the lack of the vibrant colors usually found in books for very young readers is a positive here, because they don't distract from the text but enhance it. Race is most certainly not an issue in this story, but it might be worth knowing for some that the characters are black (it's never said, just in the images). This might make the book even more appealing to black families who have, in my reading experience so far, been under-represented in childrens' books. Julian's summer is glorious, the book is all right and the messages in it are worthwhile.

- AnnaLovesBooks
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780394891170
Author:
Leder, Dora
Author:
Leder, Dora
Author:
Cameron, R. Ed.
Author:
Cameron
Publisher:
Random House Books for Young Readers
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Children's fiction
Subject:
Boys
Subject:
Readers - Beginner
Subject:
Children's 4-8 - Fiction - General
Subject:
Ethnic - African American
Subject:
Afro-americans
Subject:
Fear
Subject:
Social Situations - New Experience
Subject:
Readers - Chapter Books
Subject:
Bicycles and bicycling
Subject:
People & Places - United States - African-American
Subject:
Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings
Subject:
Social Issues - New Experience
Subject:
African Americans
Edition Description:
Paperback
Series:
Stepping Stone Chapter Books
Series Volume:
0000
Publication Date:
September 1987
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
YES
Pages:
64
Dimensions:
7.58x5.26x.17 in. .11 lbs.
Age Level:
04-08
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