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Book Reviews

Secretary Markowitz' Pick
	The Hero of Ticonderoga by Gail Gauthier Published in 2002 by Puffin This book is about: Tessy, a sixth grade girl in rural Vermont, tells us the exciting story of Vermont founder and revolutionary hero Ethan Allen. As Tessy struggles to deliver an oral report to her class on Ethan Allen we also learn about the challenges she faces as the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. Recommendation: I would recommend The Hero of Ticonderoga to fifth and sixth graders. It's fun to read and makes it easy to learn about Ethan Allen and Vermont's role in the revolutionary war. I especially enjoyed reading about what it was like for Tessy to grow up on a Vermont farm during the 1960s because I could compare it to my own experience growing up in New York during that same time period. Read more about this author
More reviews by Secretary Markowitz: The Vermont Ghost Guide - Reviewed August 2003
	The Vermont Ghost Guide Written by Joseph Citro Illustrated by Stephen Bissette Published in 2000 by University Press This book is about: This book gives you a ghostly tour of Vermont. Each page of this book tells a short ghost story that occurred somewhere in Vermont. The map of the state at the back of the books helps you track where each of these ghostly occurrences have taken place. Recommendation: I recommend this books to older students and adults. It paints a varied and unusual picture of Vermont and its history. This book, however, is not as engaging as some of Citro's other books that give more depth and description to the unexplained phenomena he portrays. For an even better book by Joseph Citro read "Green Mountains, Dark Tales." This book is a collection of Vermont folklore consisting of tall tales, stories of the supernatural and modern mysteries. The stories span Vermont's history - from the early 1700s to the present.
The Great Pig Escape Reviewed August 2003
	The Great Pig Escape Written and illustrated by Eileen Christelow Published in 1994 by Clarion Books This book is about: Bert and Ethel are vegetable farmers in Putney Vermont. When Bert decides to raise pigs Ethel warns that it will be much too much trouble. All goes well until Bert decides that the pigs are big enough to take to market to sell. Then the trouble begins! This book is based on a true story of pigs who escaped from the back of the farm truck on the way to market. Recommendation: I highly recommend this early reader picture book. It is a fun and engaging story with great illustrations. It is fun to try to find the hidden pigs! I also recommend you read the sequel, "The Great Pig Search" which was published in 2001. In this book Bert and Ethel receive a postcard from Florida with one word on it - - "Oink!" So they go off to Florida to try to find their pigs! Read more about this author