Greetings, Leroy

Gr 1–4—Roy, a Jamaican immigrant to Canada, emails his friend Leroy to tell him about his first day of school. Roy wakes up hearing Bob Marley and the Wailers, his father's favorite band, and thinks about the meaning behind the lyrics. As he leaves for school, a neighbor calls Bob Marley a great man and gives Roy a Bob Marley pin to wear on his first day. Roy is nervous, but he becomes excited when he sees a poster of Bob Marley in his principal's office and is delighted when he is introduced to his new classmates. "The whole class stood and said, 'Welcome, Roy, one love.' How did they know that 'One Love' is one of my favorite Bob Marley songs?" Roy wonders. He wants to show off his pin but discovers that it is gone. Roy solves the mystery of the missing pin and shares his prized possession with his new classmates, full of happiness and pride that he is Jamaican like Marley. The bold, warm, and expressive illustrations add depth to the text. Roy's voice is culturally authentic, but the email format makes him seem rather formal and flat, and some readers may be initially confused about who is speaking vs. who is shown in the illustrations. The setting, format, and length make the story best suited for sharing with older students, who will enjoy solving the mystery and discussing Roy's experiences.