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Title: Araboolies of Liberty Street
ISBN: 0374303908
Author:
Sam Swope
Publicate Date: 2001-04-09
Publish: 2001-04-09
List Price: $6.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $2.85
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $2.75
Amazon Merchant Price: $6.95
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Beautiful illustrations
You know, I love this book. The picture are beautiful, the text is well-written and funny, the story is good... there is just one part that sort of sticks in my craw... at the end when the author makes the comment about armies not being able to think. It just didn't seem to fit - it seemed more like a gripe or a jab from the author. We all understood what was happening and why the army would go to General Pinch's house, we just didn't need that extra commentary, I thought it sort of distracted from the story. It pulled me out of the story for a moment to look at the author and his views instead of what was happening. Still, a good book overall.
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2: My six year old loves this book
He first saw a dramatization of this at a children's theater and now he loves this book to pieces. I have to read it to him every night. He won't return it to the library so I guess we'll have to buy it.
People mentioned above about this book teaching about diversity--which is true-- but I wonder if the author didn't have in mind the myth* (as well as the fact) of how the Danish people were able to save the Jews of Denmark from the Nazis during World War II. I know it made me think of those events.
* The myth is that when Jews were forced to wear the yellow stars, all the Danes wore a yellow star and the Nazis were unable to tell them apart. The reality, just as inspiring, is that once the Nazis planned to implement deportations the Danes quickly organized and used small, privately owned boats and ferries to smuggle the Danish Jews to Sweden where they would be safe.
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3: I was hopeful
I always enjoy sharing a story with my kids about celebrating differences and teaching tolerance and the Araboolies had such potential to do so. The Araboolies themselves were fun and interesting and the artwork was good, but the overall message of tolerance is flawed. There are the Pinches (the bad guys) that abhor anything or anybody who are different. The end all solution to dealing with the Pinches is not to help them see that being different should be applauded or by pointing out that, even they have their own uniqueness. No, instead the Pinches are carted off, house and all, by the army, because "armies, of course, don't think. They only follow orders." This solution does not send a positive message about tolerance or acceptance.
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4: Every home should know the Araboolies!
The Araboolies of Liberty Street is a book for every generation. I read this book to my now grown sons and they are buying and reading it to their chilren. Teaching acceptance and tolerance with wit and ingenuity is the heart of the Araboolies story. When a very unusual family moves onto Liberty Street there are mixed feelings.While the General and his wife want them out, the kids are facinated with the way the Araboolies live in "Technicolor" in a formerly "black and white" neighborhood.It is a story with a lesson for all ages and is espically poingant in todays ever shrinking global community.
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5: Remember...
I remember when I was in the 3rd grade, which was quite a few years ago and my teacher told the class that there would be an aspiring writer come in a teach us some writing skills. That writer was Sam Swope. Along with the story of the Arabloolies of Liberty Street, each student including myself managed to publish a story of our very own which would be published by his publishing company. It was quite the experience... Just the other day my friend came across another one of Mr. Swopes books and he told me that he always writes about us.... But to be perfectly honest... this man, Sam Swope, is one of the best childrens' books writer that I have ever met, and Araboolies of Liberty Street is a classic that all children should read.
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