"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski is a story about a boy living an idyllic life with his parents on a farm in northern Wisconsin. It was a simpler time and the family's life was centered on raising and training a breed of dogs for companionship. Edgar is born mute and speaks only in sign language. Edgar is ready to carry on his family's tradition when his uncle returns back home. The uncle brings turmoil and Edgar runs off and lives in the wilderness with three of his dogs. Edgar must decide if he is going to continue to live in the wild or return home and confront the problems he has left unsolved. I was enjoying the beginning of this book. Without totally ruining the ending, I found it catastrophic and it will pull at your heart strings.
Do you need a good book to help a child learn to read? "Dig, Dogs, Dig: a Construction Tail" by James Horvath is the book for you. This is a level one I Can Read book. The story is about a group of dogs working on a construction site. It's fun guessing what they might be building. This book is filled with sight words. Read the book to your child and then have them read it back to you. Have fun teaching your child to read.
BH