A funny, instructive story about making decisions 
Alexander can’t decide on a Halloween costume, so he winds up as a pumpkin; he can’t decide what to wear to school, so he misses the bus; he can’t decide what school lunch to eat, so he winds up with tuna casserole. 
Alexander’s breakthrough comes on his birthday, when he asks for a sundae with everything but then realizes that chocolate swirl is all he wants. After that, Alexander finds his own decision-making style: not as deliberate as his mother or as quick to decide as his father, but somewhere in between. And when he tells his mom he wants a baby brother, he learns that sometimes “you get what you get, and that can be OK too.” full color\nFrom School Library Journal\nK-Gr 2-Making a decision is not always an easy task, but it is especially hard for young Alexander Levine, a white boy and only child. Whether it is picking out clothes for the day, snacks for the movie, or his Halloween costume, difficulty making up his mind is starting to cause some problems for Alexander, like being late for the bus or having to wear a sweater he despises. Even when his mom encourages him to try out every option or his dad suggests that he just make quick decisions, it doesn't get any easier. But when Alexander gets to choose what the family would do for their Saturday outing, he learns that making choices is as easy as considering what he knows and making the best decision possible, even if it isn't the right one in the end. Alexander's indecisiveness puts him in some funny situations, which are amplified by the comical and colorful illustrations. But with the lesson taking center stage, this story is sometimes contrived; Andrew has a simple epiphany after ordering a sundae with all of the ice cream flavors, and his future decision-making process goes smoother. Although it might not be a natural choice for story time, this book might be useful for a whole group lesson or as a social story for an individual or small group. VERDICT Consider this as an additional purchase for collections looking for supplemental SEL materials.-Louie Lauerα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This or That: A Story about Choosing

Children's Books

Andrews, Kell

Humor

Tilbury House, Publishers

Sometimes a lucky ritual becomes a curse. Seventh-grader Martin Cruz hates his rotten new town, Lower Brynwood, but with his mom fighting a war in Afghanistan, he has no other choice but to live with his crazy aunt. Then he gets a message from a tree telling him it's cursed--and so is he. It's not just any tree either, it's the Spirit Tree, an ancient beechthe football team carves for good luck before the season opener. But every year they lose. Now the Spirit Tree is dying, and the other trees in the park are toppling around it like dominoes. The town is plagued with unexplainable accidents and people begin to fade, drained of life. Martin must team up with a know-it-all soccer star, Hannah Vaughan, if he has any chance of breaking the curse. If they fail to save the Spirit Tree, it could mean the destruction of Lower Brynwood and a permanent case of bad luck.

Deadwood

Teen & Young Adult

Pugalicious Press

Telling the future is a gift: you either have it, or you don’t. And Mira, daughter of the famous fortune teller Madame Mirabella, just doesn't. When Madame gazes into the crystal ball, magic swirls. When Mira looks . . . nothing. Then one day Mira gets a pinwheel and a windsock, she finds her own form of “magic” in the science of predicting the weather—and saves the day for everyone! This engaging tale, with a fun touch of science thrown in, helps kids understand that we all have our own special talent.

Mira Forecasts the Future

Animals

Union Square Kids

Beware the Book Dragon! She’ll steal your books in the middle of the night to add to her stash. Will brave young Rosehilda dare to confront her and help her village love reading once again? The town of Lesser Scrump has a rule: no books allowed! Instead, words must be written in dirt or scratched onto bark. And it’s all because of a fearsome dragon, who comes in the night to take every book and add it to her huge pile. Only Rosehilda says, “I’m not afraid!” and vows to challenge the creature who terrorizes her village. Will she be able to convince the dragon that books are for reading, not hoarding? This fun fairy tale stars a delightful, strong heroine—and delivers a loving message about not judging a book by its cover!

The Book Dragon

Sometimes a lucky ritual becomes a curse. Seventh-grader Martin Cruz hates his rotten new town, Lower Brynwood, but with his mom fighting a war in Afghanistan, he has no other choice but to live with his mean aunt. Then he gets a message from a tree telling him it's cursed--and so is he. It's not just any tree either, it's the Spirit Tree, an ancient beech the football team carves for good luck before the season opener. But every year they lose. Now the Spirit Tree is dying, and the other trees in the park are toppling around it like dominoes. The town is plagued with unexplainable accidents and people begin to fade, drained of life. Martin must team up with a know-it-all soccer star, Hannah Vaughan, if he has any chance of breaking the curse. If they fail to save the Spirit Tree, it could mean the destruction of Lower Brynwood and a permanent case of bad luck. 2015 finalist, Crystal Kite Awards, SCBWI Atlantic Division 2014 silver medal, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for preteen mystery 2013 shortlist finalist, Green Earth Book Awards for children's fiction

Literature & Fiction

Spencer Hill Pr

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Andrews, Kell. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Andrews, Kell

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Andrews, Kell. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

This or That: A Story about Choosing

Deadwood

Mira Forecasts the Future

The Book Dragon

Deadwood