Independent Reading Level: K-3

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun is a powerful story about following your heart and having the courage to be who you are. I love the message of understanding , acceptance and kindness shared in the story.

Sweet Lucy is different from the other children : she has beautiful and wild curly hair, and her favorite lunch is Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun. Most of the other kids are her friends and accept her difference. But Ralph is a bully and enjoys making fun of her. Of course Lucy is sad and scared, but despite these feelings, she chooses to make the good choices and do what she thinks is right.

The art is truly adorable, and I really love the strong message of the book ! ( )

If everyone where the same, the world would be boring! Lucy began her morning with a reminder from papa that the most important thing in life is to be kind. That day, Ralph laughed at her and teased her all day long, especially when she put spaghetti in a hot dog bun at school. She got home from school feeling very bad about herself and had a hard time going back to school. She was finally brave enough to tell Ralph to STOP! Later, Ralph finds himself in some trouble on the monkey bars. Even though she wanted to tell him how she really felt and how mean he was, but she remembered what Papa would do instead. She helped him down. She felt so good about herself, Ralph was kind to her, and she learned a very important lesson-just be you!

This is a great story for young, primary-aged readers. It encourages individualism and doing the right thing in the face of criticism. The protagonist (Lucy), is not treated well by a fellow student. She is teased and mocked by him. However, she doesn't waver in her sense of self and what she likes and enjoys. Eventually, she wins the student over when she is kind and helpful to him when he needs it the most.
Students will come away encouraged to be kind and gracious to one another and be more accepting of differences.

The story is well written and the plot is easy to follow for young readers. It is beautifully and vibrantly illustrated, which make the story come even more alive.

This is another great book we read while I was in class getting to experience the field. The kids loved this book and it made for a fun activity. In class my mentor teacher used this as a book to have kids write about a time they were courageous. I liked that and I think I might do something like that in the future.

Mirror book ( )