Noisy Nora

I read this book to my nephews and niece (22, 20 and 17 now) so many times I memorized and dramatized it. "Then she took her brother's kite and flew it down the stairs" had to be done on the stairs. They would giggle and beg "again"! Little ones will love this with silly voices and over dramatic acting!

I borrowed this book from the library so often as a child, that I knew exactly where to find it on the shelf well before I was able to read the cover. Now that I have a daughter of my own, this was one of the first books we added to our collection of children's stories. Not only are the prose and illustrations totally charming, but the book offers several "teachable moments" (including opportunities to talk about name-calling, which earned the book a dressing-down by another reviewer). This is a two-generation favorite!

This was my favorite book as a small child, and I couldn't wait to buy it for my own children. The rhymes make it fun to read, and children really identify with Nora's predicament. The ending is perfect, too.

This was one of my favorite books growing up. The rhymes are particularly appealing for young readers. I can still recite certain lines: "'I am leaving!' shouted Nora, 'And I am never coming back!' But no one heard anything except a tra la la from Jack." Wonderful stuff. And contrary to what the dad-to-be wrote, the message of this book is heartwarming. You don't have to be a middle child to appreciate Nora's predicament.

Noisy Nora is just as much fun to read today as it was when it first came out. I have been teaching second grade forever, and at one time, many years ago, a fellow teacher and myself wore out a filmstrip of Noisy Nora. Our students saw it over and over again. Recently, we used it as the take home book in a Book Bag program. Today's students love it as much as those almost 30 years ago!

As a Noisy Nora myself I feel that this book accurately depicts a middle child's feelings about sharing the attention from her parents. A better story for the afternoon, not nighttime. Children will be able to relate to Nora's feelings.