The House on Dirty-Third Street

K-Gr 3—A young girl is not excited about the new house her mother has purchased. It's ugly, dirty, and not at all what she had hoped for. While her mother urges her to look at it with "eyes of faith," she finds it hard to see past the peeling paint and falling shingles. Can her mother's dream be achieved? Yes, with help. They go to a nearby church on Sunday and she mentions the problem. Soon church members and neighbors unite to make the dream come true. This is a warm and loving story of a community working together for a common goal. The first-person narrative is read by Cie Peterson with compassion and understanding. Students can enjoy Thomas Gonzalez's illustrations that change from dull and gray to carefully introduced color as they listen to Kittinger's expressive text (Peachtree, 2012). This is a lovely treatment of a gentle story that speaks of hope.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA