MOSTLY MONTY

Six-year-old Monty, sheltered by protective parents because of his asthma, arrives in first grade a good reader, but shy and lacking social experience. Encouraged by his teacher’s compliments, he finds a way to have a pet, a stuffed animal and some new friends. This gentle chapter book will appeal particularly to students like Monty, who read some substance in their first-grade reading. When the (male) librarian warns Monty that nonfiction books will be too difficult, his teacher confirms his skill and the librarian says, “You’re my kind of guy.” Watercolor illustrations every few pages (not seen) support the story and show a diverse classroom population. Characters and school and neighborhood interactions ring true. The theme of Monty’s growing self-confidence, evident in each episode, is made explicit at the end, appropriate for a very young reader more engaged in the words on a page than their meaning. Mostly, readers will want more about Monty. (Fiction. 5-8)