Michele Spry

This is a wonderful book that I plan to read to my sixth graders at the beginning of the year. By the time they finish their first unit they will have completed a service project of their own. This is the story of a young girl given a summer assignment to write an essay about something they did over the summer that changed their lives. Shelby spends each afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. T. They have taken care of her since she was a baby. She is excited to tell them about her summer assignment. Mr. T is excited to tell Shelby about a project he wants Shelby to help him complete. The catch is he is not going to tell her what it is until the end. Mr. T is a cancer survivor and while going through treatment he realized there were no hats for the patients who had lost their hair. He plans on building hat racks, delivering them and placing hats on them for the patients to take. Shelby helps him and then creates a project of her own to go along with his. This should be read at the beginning of each year to students of all ages. The reading may be simple but the message is for all ages.… (mehr)

TOM T'S HAT RACK by Michelle Spry is a delightful Children's Book. A "pay it forward" story, "This simple act of kindness towards others is so simple to do and encourage others to do." A powerful story about helping others,facing challenges and giving back to your community. Beautifully written with beautiful illustrations,deep thought,and engaging characters. A simple act of kindness is what we all want and need from life,along with love. So do a simple act of kindness,then "pay it forward" and the pass the giving along to others. A powerful and compelling story. Fast paced and an excellent message for young and old readers alike. A must for children of all ages. Received for an honest review from the author.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: NONE(CHILDREN'S BOOKS)
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More… (mehr)

Tom T's Hat Rack by Michele Spry gives the reader one of those moments. In the story, fourth grader Shelby Summers, a fairly well adjusted child, is on vacation. She spends a lot of her time at Tom and Kim Tucker's home while her parents are at work. They watch over her and the families become quite close. As an only child of two working parents, she considers Mr. and Mrs. T her pseudo grandparents. It's a clear introduction to the adage, "it takes a village to raise a child".

At first glance, it seems as if Shelby is going through the motions of an overly sappy young girl. But as the book progresses, some pertinent issues come to light. And it becomes apparent that there is an underlying depth of reliance and motivation that tightly bonds the characters. Mr. T represents absolute faith within his young protege, when he includes her in a secret project, ostensibly giving credence to Shelby's own development.

All in all, Shelby is a wonderful culmination of the dedicated adults who surround her and take their time to impart wisdom and love.

Spry portrays a simple story of diligence, perseverance, and "paying it forward", that lures the reader to subtly experience a more complex and valuable sense of poignancy. There is something jaded and, oftentimes, arrogant in the adult human psyche. It is inevitable that children grow up. But certain principles should remain intact. For the betterment of society, for the betterment of the individual.

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Bookend Chronicles… (mehr)