Overview
Have you ever needed to call 9-1-1, but you couldn't get to a phone? Have you ever needed to run, but your legs were like spaghetti? Have you ever needed to yell "help!" but your throat was dry with fear?
Laugh, cry, and panic with Mr. Magro's class as they listen to twelve exciting SOS tales
Throughout the year, twelve of Mr. Magro's students have written about their biggest emergencies and tucked them into the SOS file. Now it's time to read the stories out loud and try to guess whose contribution has not earned extra credit. Sit back and enjoy twelve humorously illustrated stories that are sure to keep your heart thumping.
The SOS File is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
The students in Mr. Magro's class submit stories for the SOS file about their biggest emergencies, and then they read them aloud for extra credit.
Synopsis
Have you ever needed to call 9-1-1, but you couldn't get to a phone? Have you ever needed to run, but your legs were like spaghetti? Have you ever needed to yell "help!" but your throat was dry with fear?
Laugh, cry, and panic with Mr. Magro's class as they listen to twelve exciting SOS tales
Throughout the year, twelve of Mr. Magro's students have written about their biggest emergencies and tucked them into the SOS file. Now it's time to read the stories out loud and try to guess whose contribution has not earned extra credit. Sit back and enjoy twelve humorously illustrated stories that are sure to keep your heart thumping.
Publishers Weekly
Newbery winner Byars and her two daughters, with whom she collaborated on My Dog, My Hero, offer a collection of fictional students' responses to their teacher's request for stories about times that they needed to call for help. Unfortunately, what emerges is a mishmash of a dozen tales, not all of them sticking to the theme. For instance, a boy whose parents are divorced and who considers himself a complete loser on the baseball field tells a tale that builds to a poignant moment when he hits the winning home run during the first game his father ever attended, but, as he writes in conclusion, "I didn't need an SOS after all." Other stories, in adhering to the childlike voice of the student "authors," detract from the momentum of the tale, such as an account of two girls' calamitous test ride on their homemade go-cart (after the narrator wipes out, injured, a kid claps-"This wasn't exactly the applause I was looking for"). The highlight is "Miracle on Main Street," in which a girl who was found as in infant in a dumpster recounts how she and her adoptive parents tracked down the man who rescued her. Though inconsistent, these anecdotal accounts-embellished by Howard's charcoal-and-wash illustrations, appropriately reflecting the mood of each piece-make for short takes that may well boost the confidence of reluctant readers. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"The mother daughter trio behind My Dog Hero are back with a more creative conceit to tie stories together. . . .this collection will be a hit with its target audience and is perfect for encouraging reluctant readers. Howard's illustrations are spot-on funny and frightening as usual. An excellent package." —Kirkus Reviews"[T]he stories will inspire thought and discussion about the different kinds of crises that may touch our lives. The accessible format, lively tellings, and diverse characters may also appeal to reluctant readers older than the target middle-grade audience." —Booklist
"[E]ngaging, plausible, and highly readable collection of anecdotes." —School Library Journal
Additional Honors:
Junior Library Guild Selection
Oregon’s Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award
Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award Master List
Great Stone Face (New Hampshire) Children’s Book Award Master List
Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List
Nebraska Golden Sower Award Master List
Illinois Monarch Award Master List
West Virginia Children's Book Award Master List
Publishers Weekly
Newbery winner Byars and her two daughters, with whom she collaborated on My Dog, My Hero, offer a collection of fictional students' responses to their teacher's request for stories about times that they needed to call for help. Unfortunately, what emerges is a mishmash of a dozen tales, not all of them sticking to the theme. For instance, a boy whose parents are divorced and who considers himself a complete loser on the baseball field tells a tale that builds to a poignant moment when he hits the winning home run during the first game his father ever attended, but, as he writes in conclusion, "I didn't need an SOS after all." Other stories, in adhering to the childlike voice of the student "authors," detract from the momentum of the tale, such as an account of two girls' calamitous test ride on their homemade go-cart (after the narrator wipes out, injured, a kid claps-"This wasn't exactly the applause I was looking for"). The highlight is "Miracle on Main Street," in which a girl who was found as in infant in a dumpster recounts how she and her adoptive parents tracked down the man who rescued her. Though inconsistent, these anecdotal accounts-embellished by Howard's charcoal-and-wash illustrations, appropriately reflecting the mood of each piece-make for short takes that may well boost the confidence of reluctant readers. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Betsy Byars and her two daughters have teamed up to create a simple chapter book using the theme of small disasters that happen to children. Mr. Margo invites his students to write about an SOS experience with the promise of extra credit for those that do. Each of the chapters consists of a child's adventure. Marcie tells about ending up with her arm in a sling and Band-Aids on her legs when the brakes on her Pink Panther go-cart fail to work. Randy relates his fears about playing baseball and his less than distinguished record which became an even bigger problem when his dad finally decides to come to a game. Jerry confesses to eating all forty of the chocolate bars he was supposed to sell for the baseball fundraiser. Abraham Lincoln saves Augustus' life when a bear appears in the woods. And so the stories continue. Mr. Margo surprises the class with his own SOS experience at the end. Howard's black and white line drawings capture the emotions of the tales and add to the humor. 2004, Henry Holt, Ages 6 to 8.—Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.