  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2012 Floundering students will recognize themselves as they follow the frustrations of Stan the puppy. Stan is in Miss Catnip’s reading circle when Mr. Slippers, the principal-hound, invites them all to his birthday party. Miss Catnip suggests drawing cards that say Happy Birthday. But Stan has trouble copying the words Miss Catnip puts on the board—they come out backward, upside down, and some don’t even resemble letters at all. Alexander’s watercolors progress from soft tints to darker ones, until a completely black two-page spread shows tiny Stan sitting despondently far off to the side. The breakthrough comes when Stan confesses that he can’t form letters and begins to get extra assistance. The book emphasizes that getting it right takes lots . . . and lots . . . and LOTS of practice, but, more importantly, Stan learns to ask for help when he needs it. Students with dyslexia will especially benefit from this book, but its gentle encouragement will also help tamp the shame of any struggling student. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. Loading...
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