Elizabeth Starr Hill

Chang is mute, unable to speak but he can mimic the sounds of birds and communicate with the family’s cormorants. He is entrusted for the first time to help his dad with fishing with their cormorants and that leads to his helping care for the baby cormorant they are raising to add to the flock. He has also befriended Mei Mei but doesn’t quite trust her brother Jinan who has been teasing Chang for being mute. Even when Jinan is grateful for Chang fishing his bike out of the water and show more seems nice, Chang is on guard. For good reason, because Jinan sneaks out the baby cormorant as a joke and nearly kills it. Chang and Mei Mei save the bird and it lives; the experience strengthens Chang and he can stand up to Jinan. show less

I really enjoyed this real life issue of children I know. It's like looking through a window from outside into the lives of young children in poverty. I loved the fact that mom and dad were there in the home in the small apartment and how even was determined for something better, something for himself. This is a great book for families with small children to teach them to appreciate, cherish, and to take care of what they have. Evan's Corner is an excellent book. I enjoyed the illustrations. show more The abstract art was perfect for this type of story and complimented the story very well. show less

Too long & complex for most tots, but wonderful for children just figuring out that they have a metaphorical place in the world, and can make a real place of their own even if they only have one small corner of a shared room.  Turns out that Evan learns there's something else, at least as important, as a place of his own, though....

Summary: Living with his great grandmother is rural Florida, ten-year-old Ben looks forward to the Fourth of July celebrations, but the day becomes complicated by the presence of a new neighbor boy, a stray puppy, and local wildfires.

Personal reaction: This was a good book for young children who can relate to the modern dilemmas of peer-acceptance and pressure. I feel the novel accurately depicted childhood motivations with the desire to be "included". If I were to have a child, I would show more encourage them to read this book as a medium for life lessons, rather than a casual read.

Classroom extension: I would encourage my students to engage in open dialogue about how we try to impress our friends to be accepted. What is the right and wrong way to impress someone? show less