Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 11/01/2022 When an unexpected package arrives for Sallie Bee, she’s delighted to find a handmade scarf from Grandma. She wants to text her immediately, but since Mom’s using the phone, Sallie drafts her text on paper, and soon it gets very long: “Thanks, Grandma,” Sallie writes, “Every time I wear it, I will think of you.” Mom explains that she's written a thank-you note, which they promptly put in the mail. Soon, Sallie's inspired to write more notes—to the crossing guard; her “bus buddy,” for sharing an umbrella; and even her brother, for keeping his pet tarantula in its cage. Then Sallie gets one, too: from Mom, sharing why she’s thankful for Sallie. Sallie’s letters appear within the bright, cartoon illustrations and incorporate sweet, revealing moments, such as thanking Ms. Myers in the cafeteria for taco day (“I’m happy we get to make our own tacos, because I don’t like beans”). With its entertaining, lively approach, this charmingly depicts the joy in not only finding gratefulness but sharing that gratefulness with others. Appended tips may encourage readers to write their own. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 11/01/2022 K-Gr 3—Sallie Bee receives a scarf from her grandma one day and goes to send a thank you text right away, but her mother is using the phone. Sallie Bee goes right ahead and writes out the text, so she'll remember it, and by the time she is done, she has created a thank you note explaining why she loves the scarf so much and how it makes her feel. And that was so much fun that she has to write some more. The authors have created a story about the importance of thank you cards—how they demonstrate feelings and brighte the sender's and the recipient's day. Simple vocabulary makes this accessible even to younger students, while demonstrating to older ones how everyone can be thankful in their own lives. Ross adeptly creates fantastic pictures conveying how others' actions affect Sallie, and how her cards impact them. Sallie's handwriting on the cards is particularly adorable and looks exactly as if a student wrote it. VERDICT Finally! A good book to teach students that writing a thank you note can be fun and brighten someone's day, as well as their own.—Margaret Kennelly - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/01/2022 When an unexpected package arrives for Sallie Bee, she’s delighted to find a handmade scarf from Grandma. She wants to text her immediately, but since Mom’s using the phone, Sallie drafts her text on paper, and soon it gets very long: “Thanks, Grandma,” Sallie writes, “Every time I wear it, I will think of you.” Mom explains that she's written a thank-you note, which they promptly put in the mail. Soon, Sallie's inspired to write more notes—to the crossing guard; her “bus buddy,” for sharing an umbrella; and even her brother, for keeping his pet tarantula in its cage. Then Sallie gets one, too: from Mom, sharing why she’s thankful for Sallie. Sallie’s letters appear within the bright, cartoon illustrations and incorporate sweet, revealing moments, such as thanking Ms. Myers in the cafeteria for taco day (“I’m happy we get to make our own tacos, because I don’t like beans”). With its entertaining, lively approach, this charmingly depicts the joy in not only finding gratefulness but sharing that gratefulness with others. Appended tips may encourage readers to write their own. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.