James Dillon

I really liked this story. Even though when it starts Kevin is only in kindergarten, this book is actually good for children 7 to 10 in my view. Kevin is a kid who has a lot of talents, reading just isn't one of them. When he goes to school, he becomes very quiet and withdrawn. He does not feel smart like the other kids in his class. Kevin ends up going to the reading room and working with the reading teacher for a few years to catch up with his reading level. He works hard and tries hard, but he is still behind. Mrs. Marinez, the reading teacher realizes that Kevin has strengths in other areas and asks him to run the school store. Kevin shines in this role and other kids start looking up to him. As his confidence grows so do his skills at school. Kevin finds his strength and this is reinforced by his teacher, mother and the principal. I liked Kevin. Even though he struggled, he did not give up and was willing to try new things. The teachers and other adults in his life did a great job helping him develop confidence. This book could be used in various ways with students who are struggling to find what they are good at and how to improve as well as with students who need to help others and realize they have different skills. Often there is a lot of teasing that happens when kids perceive someone as "stupid" or when they are not able to finish the work, this book could be used in those instances to help rid this behaviour from the classroom. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.… (altro)