Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I think I grabbed Letters to Leo because we’d read picture books illustrated by its illustrator.  And hey, it looked cute–a fourth grade girl writing letters to her dog about what was going on in her life.  Right?

Here’s the thing.  It wasn’t cute in the way I wanted it to be cute, but I could see it serving a niche.  A reluctant girl reader would likely love the format, the illustrations, and subject matter.  Possibly most middle grade girls would like it.  For me, well–there were a few striking plot similarities between it and Sarah Weeks’ Honey, but the latter had more depth–and balance.  Annie’s viewpoint wasn’t mitigated much by an adult perspective, and I’d worry that some readers wouldn’t catch on to that.

Bottom line?  I thought it was okay, but it would probably be a good choice for a struggling (girl) reader.  (I doubt many boys would be interested.)  If you’ve got one, it’s probably worth a try.