Dear Napoleon, I Know You're Dead, But...

This was my favorite book in fourth grade. I used to check it out from the school library every other week, alternating with "Dear God, are you there? It's Me, Margaret". I should really reread it, but from a fourth grader's perspective, I remember it being awesome. Give it to a kid close to you!

This is the story about a 10 year old boy named Marty, who has to write a letter to a famous person for one of his classes. Unfortunately, Marty cannot think of anyone to write to, not anyone who is alive anyway. So he decides to mail his letter to Napoleon Bonaparte. With the help of his grandfather and a mysterious mail room in his grandfather's nursing home, Marty manages to get his letter mailed...and gets a response! No one believes that he really got a letter from Napoleon, so he decides to send more letters. Marty and his best friend Russell end up sending letters to many famous dead people, such as Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh, and the Wizard of Menlo Park himself, Thomas Edison. I love this book because there is such a mystery in the old mail room of Shady Groves Nursing Home, and because I am a history nerd who would absolutely love for this mail room to exist. I think it would be awesome to send a letter to Jim Bowie at the Alamo, or Will Bill Hitchock in the old west. This book is perfect for using in a fifth grade classroom to introduce a history lesson, because of all the great men it highlights. You could also have your own class write letters to a famous person and see if they can get a reply. Get this book for you kids, or for yourself. You will love it!!

If you do, read Dear Napoleon, I Know Your Dead, But.... It is about a kidand his best friend, Russell. Russell and Marty have to figure out how Marty can write tofamous dead people and get letters back! Would you believe your friends if they did the same? I think that everyone should read this book because it is simply great.

I noticed this book at a book fair in fifth grade, and brought it home, expecting (because of the title) a ludicrous, laugh-inducing romp through history. What I got instead was a touching, sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad book that had me fairly glowing with pleasure after I finished it. This is definetely a worthwhile read, and a good buy. :-)

PHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!