Ivy Green Cootie Queen

This early chapter book was just right for my daughter (8 yrs). I read it after she did, because she told me it was great and I wanted see what kind of books she liked. It was cute. I especially enjoyed the kid giving himself a "cootie shot" and Ivy's creative book report ideas. The kids' relationships and the school stuff was funny and realistic. My daughter and I recommend this book.

As a child, I avoided all forms of public speaking like the plague. For me: Oral book report day = do your best to get out of it day. Consequently, I grew up to be one of those adults who's afraid of public speaking. Public speaking is often cited by adults as their number one fear. This book is amusing, but it also gives subtle hints about how to speak in public. My daughter kept coming to tell me something funny that just happened in this book as she read it, and she and her friend nicknamed themselves Ivy and Holly after the main characters. But I think she absorbed the message about how to speak in front of a group as well.