Arthur Locked in the Library (Marc Brown Arthur Chapter Books) - Softcover

Marc Brown, who was born in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1946, received great encouragement and support from his grandmother and uncle. Inspired by the books of Maurice Sendak, Brown decided to pursue his ambition of becoming an illustrator. After receiving a B.F.A. in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art, he worked as a TV art director, a professor of mechanical drawing, and a freelance illustrator, before becoming a writer. In his books, he addresses the fears and problems which children face and events like friendship, family, school and pets. For his illustrations, Brown uses pencil with watercolor on a variety of papers to achieve different visual effects. The "Arthur" series, about the everyday adventures of a lovable aardvark, began in 1976 and continues to this day with 25 titles published. Brown has also created other series such as the "Rhymes" series, and the nonfiction "Dinosaur" series, which conveys messages of do's and don'ts. These series, like the stories of Arthur, hold the attention of young children while transporting their imaginations on magical journeys.

Grade 1-3-Both of these 10-chapter books based on scripts for the PBS Arthur series read smoothly and clearly. In Dino, Arthur and Buster discover a fossilized footprint while on a school field trip. Arthur wants to return it, as the park rules state, but Buster insists on taking it home. However, his bad dreams, his short temper with friends and family, and his guilt over his theft prompt him, with Arthur's support, to return the fossil. While the last chapter abruptly passes over the actual return, readers see Arthur and Buster's satisfaction at their right action and the museum label with their names on it in the fossil display. In Locked, Arthur and Francine, who continue to have an off-and-on friendship, lose sight of the time while working on a school report and are locked inside the library at the five o'clock closing. After an unsuccessful attempt to make a phone call, they find the librarians' lounge complete with leftover snacks, where they remain until they are rescued by some frantic adults. These are good, predictable entries in a series whose familiar characters, drawn in black line and appearing in one full-page illustration per chapter, continue to encourage children to attempt longer texts.
Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
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