Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls

Written by: Lynne Jonell

First line: Emmy Addison was an ordinary girl—almost.

Why you should read this book: After foiling the efforts of her evil nanny, Miss Barmy, to kill Emmy's parents, steal their fortune, and send Emmy off to the Home for Troubled Girls, all Emmy wants is to have a normal summer like other kids: swimming, sleepovers, and, above all, no talking rodents. Unfortunately, Emmy's efforts to ignore her ubiquitous talking rodent friends leads to one of them being critically injured, and all of them mad at her, and meanwhile, Miss Barmy, in rat form, is up to her same tricks, and then Emmy discovers what's really happened to the poor kids who've been sent to the Home for Trouble Girls, and it's nothing but constant peril and unusual adventure all over again. Will Emmy rise to the challenge, or is she even more selfish and disliked than Miss Barmy?

Why you shouldn't read this book: Rats creep you out.

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Studies show that children who regularly hear books read and see adults reading books have an easier time learning to read. If your children do not realize that books are fun and contain interesting ideas, they will be less motivated to learn how to read and write. Children who do not learn to read and write have difficulty succeeding in school and at life.

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You can learn more about children's books at the American Library Association website. Your public library is a great place to introduce your children to books. They will have special programs and incentives for kids of all ages to love reading. In most systems children are entitled to their own library cards from the time they are old enough to write their own names. It's a great way to teach responsibility as well as foster a lifelong love of learning and books.

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Dragon's Library

Wednesday, May 5, 2010