Sherry's Blog

As a children’s author and animal rescue advocate, I love reading and reviewing children’s picture books that deal with shelter animals.

James’ Reading Rescue fulfills both categories.

The cover is very intriguing and makes you wonder why the boy looks so pleased with himself surrounded by cats.

James’ Reading Rescue is a well-constructed, hardcover book with a removeable dustcover.

The author and illustrator’s bios are on the back flap of the dustcover.

The front dustcover provides information about the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

The end papers are colorfully illustrated rather than boring, plain white.

There are several two-page spreads with large, colorful illustrations.

The book opens with James saying, “What a horrible day!”

Why is he having a bad day?

All of James’ friends are out at recess while James struggles with reading.

He is inside the classroom, slumped at his desk, stumbling over words as he reads aloud.

To cheer himself up, James visits a cat rescue shelter on his way home.

He befriends Ghost, the cat in the box.

Ghost does not want to make friends and hisses at James.

While at the shelter, James pulls out a book from his backpack and practices reading aloud.

He stumbles over words, but the cats didn’t notice.

James learns that perseverance has rewards.

Weeks pass and shelter cats were being adopted, but not Ghost.

What happens to James?

Does his reading improve?

What happens to Ghost, if anything?

This touching story has a great ending.

Parents and teachers alike will enjoy reading this book to a classroom full of kids, a children’s bookstore reading, or just sitting at home reading to your children.

I highly recommend James’ Reading Rescue.

Title: James’ Reading Rescue
Author: Dianna Wilson Sirkovsky
Illustrator: Sara Casilda
Publisher: Clavis Publishing Inc., New York
ISBN-10:1605376116
ISBN-13: 978-1605376110