The Stories Julian Tells

Ages 7-9.

Julian’s mind is full of stories. Sometimes, he tells himself a story to explain how the world works. Other times, he sees what kind of fibs he can get his brother to believe. Julian’s stories can get him into trouble or help him make friends, but somehow, things always seem to work out.

Reader’s see that Julian gets his love of storytelling from his father, who revels in the way words give people a new way of seeing. When Julian tells a story that sets his little brother up for disappointment, their father does not reveal Julian’s tale as a falsehood; instead he further spins the story so that the boys wonder over the magic of the unseen.

The Stories Julian Tells is an excellent book for children transitioning between show more easy readers and chapter books. The page layout is highly readable, with wide margins, no more than 15 lines per page, and 8-12 words per line. A blank line of white space separates lines of text to prevent crowding.

Cameron’s ink illustrations illuminate the storytellers’ fanciful imaginings: a boat full of lemons, catalog cats weaving through the garden, and hundreds of figs floating down from tree branches.

Julian’s creativity, love for his family, and sense of mischief and fun will easily hook readers on his stories. Highly recommended. show less

Julian and his little brother Huey are full of imagination that sometimes gets them into tight spots with their parents, but kids and adults will admire the courage with which they explore new ideas and experiences. This series is one of few gentle, positive portrayals of growing up black in America. The parents are individual characters with humor and imagination themselves. Any family would enjoy this series, which is targeted for seven to 12 year olds, but families of color (like mine) will especially find it a rare gem.

The imaginative storytelling from Julian's point of view. He and his brother are funny, kids, pranksters. Julian is a little bully. A beginning short chapter reading for students in 1st-2nd grade. It teaches about forgiveness, family, being different, acceptance, culture, lessons learned, emotions, and change.

The Stories Julian Tells (ages 7-8) is a collection of short stories in chapters by Ann Cameron that can be read alone or sequentially to tell the story of two brothers, big brother Julian and little brother Hughie, and their imaginative escapades. In every chapter, the brothers' parents, father or less frequently mother, play an important role in guiding their adventures with lemon puddings, catalog cats, caveman teeth, and their labors in gardening. The intra-familial relationships are realistically portrayed and timeless, as are the consequences of the boys' behavior. Readers will in particular enjoy the double entendre of the father's discipline for disobeying directions. The African American familial dynamics are represented show more honestly and without stereotyping. Nonetheless, the Stories Julian Tells is a book for all children about siblings, storytelling, and flights of fancy. show less

This book contains six stories all revolving around the protagonist Julian. Throughout each story Julian demonstrates some excellent qualities but the most predominant one he displays is a wealth of imagination. Whether he is dreaming up fantastical ideas such as catalog cats or putting his wishes and dreams on the tail of a kite Julian shows the whimsical nature of childhood and is a reflection of all childhood imaginations. If children enjoy this book there are also other books in the series and even a spinoff of stories about his little brother Huey.

This series of short stories can be read from start to finish or one chapter at a time. The main characters of Julian and his younger brother Huey appear in each story; they are believable and students aged 7-9 will relate to them easily. Cameron's plots are funny and engaging for students, especially "Pudding like a night on the sea" and "Catalog Cats." This is a great book to give confidence to early independent readers-- especially boys.

It's been awhile since I read this, but I remember it being delightful, real, sweet, clever, and easy to read.