This book is just so lovely and succinct. It's a little younger than I usually enjoy, but I picked it up for my second grader and became enthralled. The voice of the main character, a 10 year old girl is so real and the sketch drawings are perfect. The book covers some serious things without being serious and sad things without being sad. It's just my favorite thing when I come across unexpected wonder in a novel. This is why I read. And it's written in free verse, like this:Later Albert and I walk home together.He starts telling me aboutbarking spiders."They don't really bark," he says."They hiss."He hisses in my ear. Then he says:"If one bit you, you probably wouldn't die.Just vomit a lot."I tell Albert to please shut up about barking spiders."Okay," he says. "So, did you knowa cockroach can live for nine dayswithout its head?"I'd like to live without my headright now.I'm curious to see if my second grader will like it, he's 28 pages in so far and has only said that he doesn't know where the dancing pancake is yet. I'm not always a fan of books in verse, but this one flows very nicely and I think it does a good job of representing Bindi, the main characther's process of thinking. It unveils the different things going on in her head at once and her transformation. I liked how the main character grew and even though she was dealing with a lot, she was eventually able to realize that other people were having problems as well and could empathize with them. I think Bindi is a very relatable character especially with our current economy. Her dad leaves because he is out of a job and becomes depressed and Bindi and her mom have to move. I also like how to demonstrates how a community can come together by donating materials to a homeless woman.
What do You think about The Dancing Pancake (2010)?
The Dancing Pancake is a book for younger kids but it is still a fun book to read(:
—chelseasmith1217
it was cool and awesome and fun and happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
—Pamejazmin
THANKS KYLIE FOR TELLING ME YOU REALLY LIKED IT!
—schmawesome
Cute fun read - reminds me of Judy Blume books
—zoe555
