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When I was little, I watched the Madeline cartoon frequently. I loved the show, though I don't think I ever read any of the Madeline books. In "Madeline in America," Madeline finds out that her great-grandfather passed away and left all his wealth to her. She travels with the rest of her classmates and Miss Clavel to Texas, where her grandfather's ranch is. They explore the land and are in awe of the wealth Madeline will have. The next morning, which just so happens to be Christmas morning, the girls are given numerous gifts from Madeline's relatives. The girls agree that being rich is amazing, and Madeline points out that she wont have to go to school anymore since if you're rich, you're smart by default. Miss Clavel tells the lawyer responsible for explaining the great-grandfather's will that all of this is spoiling her girls, to which the lawyer responds that Madeline's great-grandfather won't have her receive all of his wealth till she turns twenty-one, and that Madeline should stay with Miss Clavel until then. I thought the story was very cute, especially since you get to see these girls interact with a culture they aren't used to. I also thought the message about the importance of education was important to teach kids. ( )

Madeline in America has an interesting background to it. The author past away a while ago and left the book half finished. Years later his grandson decided to finish it for him and publish it. Unfortunately, the result wasn't nearly as good as the original Madeline stories, but I always find it interesting to see what author's were thinking up and working on, but weren't able to finish before passing away. It's also interesting to me that the author decided later in life to have Madeline and the girls visit America. This makes me wonder how the story would have gone if he had finished it and what other ideas he had. Unfortunately, we will never know. ( )

In my opinion, Madeline in America is a good book for students to read. One reason for this opinion is because of how the book is written. It is a short story however it is written like a poem. The book is set up like most books that children read however the text rhymes and is written as a poem. I think that this is a trait that makes the book original and will show students a different kind of writing style. Another reason I think this book is good for students is because of its illustrations. The pictures in this book are different as well. Each page is a work of art and it relates well to the text. The pictures show movement and bring the text to life. Each page makes me want to join in the fun that the girls are having in Texas. The illustrations make the book an experience and that is a great thing for young students to see. It shows students that pictures are just as important as the text sometimes. This book also shares a culture with its readers. For young children, it can be hard to imagine a place they’ve never been. This book helps those students and shares Dallas, Texas with them. Students can feel like they too are traveling the world with Madeline and her friends. Students should have a better sense of what Texas has to offer after reading this story. My last reason for supporting this book is the message it tells students. It pulls students into this new place and then it teaches them. Without even knowing it, students have learned that it is important for them to go to school. Even rich Madeline has to go to school. I like that the book waits to share that theme with students until the end. They get to see what the world, or in this case Texas, has to offer only to find out that it is better with an education. ( )