If You Were a Comma

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

Learn about how commas are used to punctuate sentences while you are reading a story about Miguel the Alligator's trip to the North Pole. The grammar lesson appears on the upper left page of the layout. The alligator's story, which takes up most of each page, features commas, which are accentuated in violet, bold print. Young readers not familiar with the format and presentation of the book may need a few words of explanation so that they can understand its organization. At the back of the book, readers will find a summary, as well as examples of the different uses of the comma. The index provides a way to locate particular usages of commas. The book gives readers an activity, too, to spot and circle commas in print. Students will benefit from knowing how to use the comma in their own writing. This book would be good for writing conferences or writing workshop lessons. Students who wish to pursue more information about commas or punctuation may find the list of related books and the web address for the FactHound website helpful. This book is part of the "Word Fun: Punctuation" series, which has five more books about different punctuation marks. The format of the other books and presentation of the information are similar. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung