Morgan On Ice. (First Novels). Ted Staunton. Illustrated by Bill Slavin. Halifax, NS: Formac, 2013. 56 pp., pbk., hc. & ebook, $5.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (hc.), $4.95 (ebook). ISBN 978-1-4595-0290-1 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4595-0289-5 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-4595-0291-8 (ebook). Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-11. Review by Lisa Case. **** /4 Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy.

excerpt:

"Charlie invited me to Monster-Truck-A-Rama. Can I go? Please?"

But Mom says, "Oh, no! It's the same day as Princesses on Ice."

"Hey," I say, "That means I can't go to Princesses on Ice!" This is great.

"Well, no hon. It means you can't go to Truck-A-Rama. Aldeen invited you first and you said yes. You can't change your mind. That would be rude."

"But," I say. "But this is trucks crushing stuff. That's way cooler than - "

"Sorry, Morgan, but that's the way it is."

I knew Aldeen would find a way to wreck everything.

Morgan On Ice is the latest book in Ted Staunton's mini-novel series about Morgan and his classmates from Grade Three. In this book, Morgan has a dilemma. Aldeen has invited Morgan to go to Princesses on Ice with her, and he has accepted. However, Charlie just invited him to go to the Monster Truck-A-Rama, an event which Morgan would rather attend. Problem - how to convince his mom to let him cancel plans with Aldeen in order to accept Charlie's invitation. Can Morgan find a way to make everyone happy, especially himself, or is he stuck with the Princesses?

      Ted Staunton writes many different books to entertain young people. He is a Canadian author who has been writing for children of all ages. His titles in the "First Novels" series are entertaining and captivating and can be enjoyed by many age groups. The black and white illustrations by Bill Slavin are drawn in a cartoon style – which is perfect for all. The pictures help to tell the story and give depth to the characters.

      Morgan On Ice is told through short, easy-to-read chapters. Each chapter contains one or two of Slavin's illustrations. The short chapters make this book ideal for children just beginning to read chapter books. However, the story is written with wording and a storyline that will be enjoyable for older children as well. Staunton understands the day-to-day struggles in the life of a child. Every child can relate to Morgan; therefore, these stories can be enjoyed by a variety of children. Detailed illustrations also help highlight the story's plot and tone, and this makes the book a great option for children that have English as a second language.

      The Morgan books are a great addition to all school libraries.

Highly Recommended.

Lisa Case is an elementary/junior high teacher-librarian from Calgary, AB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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