Amber and Essie are sisters. Amber was brave. She wasn’t afraid of climbing up into high places. Essie was smart. She could read very hard library books. Together they make a good team. Their father is in prison, their mother works long hours, and there is little money to pay the bills. Through a series of interconnected poems, Williams presents Amber and Essie’s sad, funny, and moving tale. Full-color portraits of the girls precede the story, and an album of dramatic moments closes the book. Black-and-white pencil drawings are interspersed …
Struggling readers face many roadblocks. Not only are they not able to read the books their peers are enjoying, they are often embarrassed and bored by having to read books with “babyish” covers and below-grade-level topics. Assigning struggling readers these types of books just pushes many of them further into the “I hate reading” mode. To engage these students, books should have age-appropriate, high-interest topics and enough supports to make reading successful and enjoyable. Once reluctant readers enjoy positive reading experiences, they will be open to reading more.
