Arthur stared at Uncle Wrisby. Here was someone who wanted to talk about things! With him!
Arthur opened his journal. "Moles!" he cried happily. "Let's talk about moles!"
His pencil poised, the summer began.
Overview:
Ten-year-old Arthur's summer isn't starting out so well. His parents are arguing. And a new baby is coming. And nobody seems to be listening to him. But then one day, his parents take him to stay with Great-Uncle Wrisby and Great-Aunt Elda for the summer. When hard-of-hearing Uncle Wrisby grabs Arthur's hand and yells, "What would you like to talk about?" summer starts looking much more interesting.
Arthur meets Pauline - a chicken who loves French, and Bernadette - a pig who loves to be sung to. Aunt Elda introduces him to a mockingbird with no name, and Uncle Wrisby takes him to bargain with a trader named Yoyo Pratt. He finds new friends in Moira - a scrappy little girl who calls him "Mouse," and her grandfather - a veterinarian whom everyone calls "Moreover." As he spends his summer days and nights with this motley group, Arthur begins to see life in new and unexpected ways.
For Teachers and Librarians:
Arthur, For the Very First Time is a quiet book with a host of off-the-wall characters that work together to bring close-to-the-vest Arthur out of his self-imposed shell. But don't let this story's quietness lull you into thinking it's not powerful. As Arthur meets each of these characters, he's faced with decisions and situations he's never seen before, forcing him to look at things from a point of view other than his own, and letting him discover there are whole other new and exciting sides of himself that he never knew existed.
Arthur learns to be brave enough to try new things, and to trust in himself and his ability to do what must be done. Moira who trusts only herself, learns that she can trust other people, too. Uncle Wrisby tends to keep some parts of life at a distance, to save his heart from possible hurt, while Aunt Elda prefers to embrace life closely, even if it means her heart may be broken. Each character in this book has their own ways of looking at life, and their own flaws that they're forced to examine. And each of them comes away from their trials with a new understanding of themselves and others. Students of all stripes will find connections with this story, and so will you.
For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:
Arthur, For the Very First Time is one of those books that, after you've finished reading it, you just sit and hug it to your chest. It is a story about family, and friends, and love, and he
1 Comments on Book Review: Arthur, For the Very First Time, by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrations by Lloyd Bloom, last added: 8/27/2011
Display Comments
Add a Comment
Gosh, Kim! I love this book. It's the only book I worked on (as an editorial assistant) that's still in print! That means I wrote the original flap copy -- the best part of being an editorial assistant. Plus, I got to meet Patricia MacLachlan.
Great review! Very thorough. Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes I get too caught up in the latest releases and forget about the good books from a few years back.