Neville

The young narrator in ​Neville​ ​is lonely. The kind of lonely you can only be when you move into a new house, in a new town, and are preparing to start at a new school where all the kids will look at you, but none of them will talk to you. At his mother's urging, he takes a walk (because what else is there to do in a new town?) and discovers a unique way to make friends. A clever twist on a common theme. ( )

The young narrator in ​Neville​ ​is lonely. The kind of lonely you can only be when you move into a new house, in a new town, and are preparing to start at a new school where all the kids will look at you, but none of them will talk to you. At his mother's urging, he takes a walk (because what else is there to do in a new town?) and discovers a unique way to make friends. A clever twist on a common theme. ( )

I liked this story about the difficulties of making new friends after a move. Karas does an excellent job with the illustrations. ( )

Neville by Norton Juster.
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Summary:
This is a little bit of a mystery book. A young boy has just moved to a new town and is very sad. He thinks he will never make friends. He goes for a walk in his new neighborhood, and starts yelling the name “Neville”. A lot of kids from all over join in, and hope to find Neville. In the end you find out who Neville is, and the little boy has made a lot of friends in a very unique way.

Personal Reaction:
I absolutely love everything about this book. Even though it might be a little predictable to some people, I was surprised to find out who Neville was. I love the drawings in this book and all the different designs. I think it would be great to let kids know that it’s not hard to make new friends; you just have to step out.

Classroom extension Ideas:
1. If you ever get a new student in your class you could read this book. It might make the child feel welcome.
2. Have students draw their names in unique ways.

This book is a simple story about a boy who moves to a new neighbourhood and finds new ways to make friends. It is a book that would speak to a child that has ever moved. A very unique and charming story that would be great for any age. ( )