Julie Labossiere

Knowing today is the bid day for her to surf all by herself, Amy sits and starts to remember all her surfing instructor has taught her over the past few weeks. She still has to do this one alone and that concerns her for a moment. Until her surfing coach sits down and reminds her that she has done this many times before. She has talked about it, learned to paddle, tested her balance on the board and even surfed with him at her side before. The only difference today, he would wait for her on show more the shore. The practice was done, now it was time to surf. As Amy waited patiently for the right wave, she remembered every thing that he had told her. The she found the perfect wave and rode it to the shore and her families waiting arms. They were all so proud of her and they surfed with her the rest of the day.

Inspirational story about being able to do anything you set your mind to. I admired Amy’s desire to learn something new, to follow through with the whole process of learning it and then the final test of her courage, to do it all by herself. Even as scary as that thought was, she knew she had prepared for this ride and since it was something she had wanted for a long time and it was something that she had learned the right way to do, she knew that she could do it. She really enjoyed her ride back to the shore and seemed proud of herself in the end. Practice and patience are really great lessons for anyone, this story is geared for young readers or for reading aloud, with it’s plain wording, large print and great pictures. This would be a great addition to any youth library. show less

“Amy Plays the Violin” is a delightful book that was written by Julie Labossiere and illustrated by Dwayne Brown. It is a simple story about a young girl who is nervous about her first violin recital. Her brother tries to help her out by telling her she could play the drums, but Amy tries out his set of drums and decides that it probably isn’t for her. She then goes to her sister for help, and her sister lets Amy try and play the piano but Amy realizes that she can play the violin show more better.

This book addresses the common symptom of being really nervous before a first recital. What I really liked about it was the relationship between Amy and her siblings. Instead of mocking or making fun of Amy, her brother and sister are very supportive and understanding and do their best to help her out.

This is a good book for any child who is starting to learn an instrument. It stresses that the best way to combat the nervousness of a recital is to practice, practice, practice but does it in a way that isn’t preachy. Along with being a cute story, this book also comes with adorable illustrations. show less

Recently our family had the pleasure of reading ‘Amy Plays the Violin’ by Julie Labossiere. This is a story about a little girl named Amy, who has anxiety about an upcoming solo violin performance. She also questions if she should switch to another instrument before the big day.

Julie Labossiere is a great story teller. This book reads well and held my children’s attention. I really liked it not only for the positive encouragement and realistic scenario, but Julie takes the time to show more teach the children a couple musical words that they may have not known.

I believe this book would be of interest to elementary children. Readership age is probably between the 8 and 12. We read this out load as a family and my 9 and 11 year old have stated that “the Amy books” are their favorite.

We also love Dwayne Brown’s illustrations. They really bring the book to life. They are playful and bright.

I appreciate books that deal with real life situations, without giving an immediate solution. It’s nice to see the characters work through their fears and come out feeling good about themselves. It gives children a little extra confidence and something they can relate to. show less

In ‘Amy Goes Surfing’ by Julie Labossiere, young Amy has been taking surfing lessons and is ready to go out on her own to test her skills. While Amy is certain that she can do this alone, she’s also very anxious and a bit afraid. With the support of her family and mentor, Amy decides to take the plunge.

I felt like this was a great book for children. I read this to my 9 and 11 year old and they loved it. They felt like they could relate to Amy, as to there have been many instances show more where they too were nervous about something.

Anxiety is a normal part of life that everyone will experience many times over. No matter how confident you are, you will always doubt yourself. Julie Labossiere understands this and shows in a positive way that it’s perfectly okay to be scared and if you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.

I believe this book is great for all elementary students. As far as reading alone, I feel that it’s appropriate for third grade level and up.

Way to go Julie! Another positive, yet realistic book that children can relate to their everyday lives. I look forward to reading ‘Amy Plays The Violin’ and ‘Amy Volunteers’. show less