Everett Anderson's 1-2-3

Sam Is My Half Brother is a wonderful book about a little girl named Hessie who has a stepfamily. Hessie is afraid that now that her dad and stepmother have a new baby, she will not get attention anymore. Hessie's father reminds Hessie that Sam may be a trouble right now, but he reminds Hessie of when she was his age, as well. Hessie's father shows her photos of when she was a baby. In the end, Hessie finally understands and writes a book about her half-brother, Sam. This story is of enduring interest, and it is not outdated. It offers possible solutions to problems presented for Hessie with her stepfamily. The subject, stepfamilies, is very interesting, and it is very engaging to read. I feel the vocabulary of this book is suitable for ages 3-8 years old and grades pre-k through 3rd grade. This book was fun to read for me. Children 3-5 years may have to have an adult read to them. Children 5-8 years would be able to read the contents on their own, unless they have a learning disability. This book contains approximately 30 pages with 6 pages with just pictures contained in them. I estimate this book takes about 7-10 minutes to read. If the teacher is reading to her students, it may take a little longer to finish because of questions asked throughout the story. This is a suitable length for ages 3-8 years old. In addition, this book allows just enough time to use with children who have special attention needs. The font in the book is in paragraph form and would be suitable for children 5-8 years old to read. The text is not too dense for read-aloud of read-together activities. The text seems to be just the right size, and the pictures are developmentally appropriate. The author beautifully illustrates the pictures. I found that it is not permissible to reprint the book, without the prior written permission of both copyright owner and the publisher of the book. The pictures enhance the storyline throughout the book. The illustrations are realistic, the pictures are engaging, and there are not too many pictures included in the text. The appropriate developmental level of this book is appropriate for ages 3-8 years old and grades pre-k through 3rd grade, depending on the student(s). The age of the main character, Hessie, is about 5 years old. The themes match the developmental level of the children ages 3-8 years. This book can be used with children at a variety of developmental levels. This book contains some diversity for this age group. The gender of the main character is female. The book conveys respect to all groups referred to in the book, except the mother. I may be looking into this too much, but every page has her in a dress and a bow on her head, which can be stereotyping mothers/women. This book does not contain any diversity issues such as ethnicity or disability. This book is about stepfamilies with the trauma of divorce. I think the value of this book for the co