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Snowshoe Thompson

Snowshoe Thompson

By Nancy Smiler Levinson & Pictures by Joan Sandin

Summary: This is a story about a little boy named Danny who wants to get a letter to his Pa who's in a town through the mountains digging for gold. He is writing to his Pa to come him because he misses him a lot and wishes that he would come home for Christmas. Unfortunately, the snow is too deep to get through the pass by horse and buggy so his letter cannot be delivered; that is, until John Thompson steps forward and tells Danny that he can make the trip. 
The next day, Danny goes to Johns house where he is busy outside making snow skis, something that Danny has never seen or heard of before. But he learns that one is able to "walk" on snow with them attached to your feel and he helps John make the skis over a couple of days. When the skis are finished, John takes off to deliver Danny's letter. John is gone for five days and everyone in town is sure that he was dead in those dangerous mountains: everyone except for Danny. And finally John returned! And with him, he carried a letter from Danny's Pa who said that he would be home for Christmas and John and Danny decide that he would only be able to get there on a pair of skis! 

Review: This book is based on John Thompson who really was a man who deliver mail from town to town on skis. This particular book is a chapter book and is recommended for 2nd-4th graders. It has great illustrations that go with the text provided. This book features looks of dialogue so it could be fun for children to act it out. It is also an exciting story for children to predict. I know that I enjoyed reading it as a kid because it showed the process of them making the skis at each step, which was interesting to me.


-The Green Eyed Reader
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