Benjamin Dove

I teach 3rd - 5th graders, and have read hundreds of novels aloud to them over my 20 years of teaching. Benjamin Dove was not only written superbly, but the mature subject matter and the characters are so well-handled by Erlings that even my youngest students grasped and maintained interest in every word. When you are met with "No, don't stop reading!" you know you've hit something special. Each day, we'd have a deep discussion about the events in the book, and at the end of the book, amidst tears and the wishes for a sequel, or at least another English book by Erlings, was the overwhelming sentiment, "This is the best book ever!" I highly recommend you read this book to yourself, first, then share it with your children, at home or in your classroom. It's brilliant.