Overview
Martha is suprised when her friend Truman wants to run away and invites her to come along. While Martha is always up for an adventure, she knows there's more to the story. She soon learns he's afraid of going to his softball game the next day because he can't catch the ball. If there's anything Martha is an expert at, it's playing catch! With the help of their human and doggy friends, Martha coaches Truman to catch the ball without fear. But will he be good enough for the big game?
Includes a matching vocabulary game and fill-in-the-blank word activity.
Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including MARTHA SPEAKS, which was chosen as a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.
Synopsis
Martha is suprised when her friend Truman wants to run away and invites her to come along. While Martha is always up for an adventure, she knows there's more to the story. She soon learns he's afraid of going to his softball game the next day because he can't catch the ball. If there's anything Martha is an expert at, it's playing catch! With the help of their human and doggy friends, Martha coaches Truman to catch the ball without fear. But will he be good enough for the big game?
Includes a matching vocabulary game and fill-in-the-blank word activity.
Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including MARTHA SPEAKS, which was chosen as a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.
Children's Literature
Truman does not want to play ball with Martha. He does not want to play ball at all. He does not know how to catch. Martha says that she is an expert and that she will teach him. Off they go to the park, joining other friends and their pets. Truman practices. He has to learn not to shut his eyes when the ball comes his way and how to squeeze the mitt so the ball will stay in it. The next day he no longer wants to be a hobo and run away but heads out to the ball field. He makes a catch, but he has not had the next lesson—learning to throw the ball to second base. Now Truman seeks out Martha's help again, but dogs can catch, they do not throw. At the end of the story there are several pages of activities. The first has readers match the pictures and words; the second one is a story where the reader fills in the correct words. The illustrations appear to be computer generated. This is a level 2 reader in the "Green Light Readers" series. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot