{My thoughts} – I enjoyed the nice little lesson in this book. Eva learns that their class is getting a new classmate. She decides to put all her time and energy in trying to win the new classmates friendship. However, in doing so, she starts ignoring her best-friend Lucy.

It turns out that the new classmate and Lucy end up becoming friends and Eva starts to feel left out. However, Eva had caused Lucy to feel left out when she was planning everything for the new classmate.

In the end they all end up becoming friends together, which is even better then Eva could have imagined.

The lesson in this story is that it’s okay to make new friends, but you shouldn’t leave out or forget about the friends that you already have. It’s not nice to make your current friends feel like they are less important because you’ve decided you want to make a new friend.

I really enjoy these books. The illustrations are colorful, the stories are simple and the lessons are easy to understand. I also like that at the end of each book are discussion questions that can be used to help the reader further understand the content within the book. ( )

Summary

Eva the owl documents her daily activities and experiences in her diary. Eva and her best friend Lucy were excited because a new owl would be joining their classroom. Eva spent the nights before the new owl's arrival planning for the new owl and making her gifts to welcome her when she arrives. As she busied herself with these activities she ended up neglecting her friendship with Lucy. When the new owl arrived at school she sat beside Lucy in class and soon the two owl's got closer in friendship leaving Eva feeling alone and worried that she had lost her best friend. The new owl, Hailey was not as excited about Eva's welcome gifts as Eva thought she would be. Eva was sad and embarrassed. With some advice from her brother, Eva came up with a plan to renew her friendshipwith Lucy. Eva, Lucy and Hailey all became friends and found that they enjoyed hanging out together.

Critique

This book offers a great lesson in the strength of true friendship. Also built into the story are different activities that can be implemented in a classroom or school setting, and situations that children can easily relate to. Eva's lifestyle also emphasizes a few facts about owls, so the book educates while it entertains.

Prompts

P.2-3 There are many things that Eva wrote in her diary that she loved to do. What are some of the things you love to do.
P. 8-9 Point out facts about owls that Eva mentioned.
P.21 - Organizing using a to-do list, What are some things we do to remember and be organized

Craft Element

Document daily observations for a Science project over a period of time in the same way Eva documented her daily activities.

Eva is so excited about welcoming the new owl that she ignores her oldest and best friend, Lucy. Then to Eva's surprise the new girl and Lucy become friends. Eva is the one that feels left out until she apologizes to Lucy and the owls all become friends. ( )