My Diary

Gr 3—5—This book is for sharing and talking about emotions with children, and the short pieces include snippets of text about anger, joy, disappointment, etc. Presented as a diary of a young girl, it gives readers a peephole into her life and dreams, making it so much more than a didactic presentation of random sentiments. In addition to the text, there are telling illustrations picturing moments in the child's life; resembling a scrapbook, the pages have been cut and pasted together with bits of paper and stained with food and watermarks. Each section is labeled thematically: peace, war, fear, freedom, etc. Some entries are rambling, while others are short poems or lists. This well-crafted book would be useful as an example for a writing workshop. Others may find it equally as helpful as a means to begin discussions about emotions—-Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD