Ira Says Goodbye

This story was cute and made it very easy for children to relate to. The author uses specific and realistic examples so that the reader can really feel Ira’s emotions. An example of this is when Ira snaps at Reggie and calls him stupid for not knowing a false fact about turtles. Ira made up this fact to make Reggie feel stupid because he was upset that Reggie was going to be moving away. Another example would be how Reggie rubs it in to Ira how his new home is going to be awesome. He is trying to make Ira feel bad to mask how upset he really is. We find this out later when Reggie’s dad states, “Reggie is taking this move so hard.” Situations such as these are extremely relatable for young children who have a best friend that is show more moving away. I also like how the author leaves the ending as hopeful and exciting. He makes it so that the reader can see a best friend moving away is not so bad after all, leaving the reader with a positive message. show less

One reason I liked this book is because of how relatable the plot was to children of all ages. This book is about two friends, Ira and Reggie, who have to cope with Reggie moving to another town. As a defense mechanism, Reggie brags about how great his new town is and about how excited he is to move there, causing Ira to feel sad. They go through a period where they aren’t friends, until the day that Reggie moves. The sadness suddenly hits Ira and Reggie, and they hug each other and cry about losing their best friend. The story ends with Ira happily packing to go visit Reggie for a weekend in Greendale. A lot of children have had to deal with either moving themselves or having a friend move away, so I think this book hits home for show more many people. Another reason I liked this book is because of the theme that the reader overwhelmingly understands when the book ends. The main idea of this book is that friends sometimes fight, but distance doesn’t ruin the bond between two best friends. The story had a happy ending of the two boys imminently reuniting, and the reader could clearly see that the characters remained best friends even though they didn’t live next door to each other anymore. I think this is an important lesson to teach both children and teenagers. show less

This book would be great for teaching writing. A lot of times students have problems coming up with what they want to write about or finding a way to relate it to them. Most people have moved or have had a friend that’s moved. So I really feel like this would be a great way to get them writing in a way that they can understand and relate to.

Children’s book about a young boy whose friend is moving away, written with a gentle exploring of their feelings.

This book is about a little boy named Ira whose best friend is moving away. He doesn't take the news of the move very well, but is forced to cope regardless. He eventually realizes that it won't be so bad after all, as he can still go visit Reggie on the weekends.

Book about a boy who has to move away from best friend. The story takes some turns as the boys go through different emotions coming to terms with the move. Pierce County Library. 2nd through 3rd grade

Ira confronts several emotions when he learns his best friend Reggie is moving away