LitPick Review
A lot is happening in a small town in Wyoming. Sheriff Ludolf is a terrible writer, but he has a newspaper log to keep. Here is what he writes:
“Madd cat will not let Maude Willie in her house. Jake Willie couldn’t stop laffing and had to be taken to the hospital.”
The sheriff knows his writing is horrible so he decides to recruit Sylvia Bloom, his wife’s best student, for the job. Her articles look like this:
“A trail of grain,
Followed by
Maude’s
Reckless
Running chickens,
Beaks on the ground
Until they are happily home again.”
Sylvia’s life is not as easy to understand as her writing. Her number one question: Why did her mother stay on the farm instead of going back onstage? Is it her fault? Her brother’s fault? Her dad’s fault? And will writing the log help her find out the answer?
Opinion:
Just Dance is an inspiring book about understanding the people close to you. The book’s strength lies in its exquisite, descriptive wording. The vocabulary is appropriate for 8-12 year olds, and the book would interest 7-10 year olds. Patricia MacLachlan did a great job including interesting elements, such as a strange man who lives in the woods, but the plot didn’t develop these. If you are looking for a light, easy read, Just Dance is just that.
