Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: E.B. Lewis
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publication date: 2004
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, Booklist Editor’s Choice 2004, and ALA Notable Book 2005.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Gr. K-3
Overview: Ada Ruth’s mom is off fighting in the war. She stays at home with her grandma and writes letters to her mom, hoping that she will come home soon. The story ends when the mailman delivers a letter to Ada Ruth. It is from her mom, and it makes her so happy! Her mom returns home safely a few days after Ada receives the letter.
Activity: As a class, write letters to the soldiers in Iraq. Take a field trip to the post office, ask for some addresses, and mail them!
Reviewer’s name: Amie Lauriello
