Paul A. Reynolds

This book is about two twin mice named Sydney and Simon. One day they are both at the aquarium and Sydney notices a green sea turtle, named Greenie. She finds out that the sea turtle is in the aquarium because she is sick due to trash in the ocean. Sydney then takes it in her to become a greener person, so that ocean animals like Greenie can stay safe. They notice all the trash that their family and their school creates, Sydney and Simon get a great idea to make a sculpture out of trash. They gather all the plastic waste they can find and create a sculpture of Greenie. Then the two mice get another great idea, to make a song about going green so that others can watch their pollution too. They decide to make instruments for the song out of waste as well, they create and record their song and send it into DJ K. Within the next couple of days DJ K starts playing their song on the radio! So many people hear the song playing that others decide to go green as well. Their dad decides to use a reusable water bottle instead of plastic ones, Big Blake decides to stop buying plastic soda bottles, Ms. Asiago decides to reuse chairs from a junk yard instead of buying new ones. The book ends with Sydney and Simon going back to the aquarium where they met Greenie and hear the good news that Greenie will be able to head back to the ocean soon because she is feeling much better! This book has a few messages, one is every action has a consequence, another is we need to take care of what we have while we have it, and lastly to persevere because with hard work amazing things can happen.… (més)

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters in this story were believable and showed the message of thestory ver clearly. before the big go-Kart race, every child was given an identical go-kart kit and set off to work. The main character was a little boy who was beyond excited to build his kart and win the race so he followed the instructions very specifically. Maya on the other hand, showcased the message of creativity in this story. Rather than following the instructions, Maya used the parts in the kit to build a whole new kind of kart that looked more like a plane. Her ability to think creatively or "outside the box" was what this story was truly about. Teamwork was another value that this story illustrated very well. Once the main character saw what Maya was doing, he wanted to work together to create something even better. This two of them working together to build something unexpected was what allowed them to win the race in the end, therefore showcasing how teamwork and creativity can be the difference between success and failure.… (més)

Summary:
Going Places is about a boy whose class is building go-carts for a race. Everyone in his class gets the same box of instructions to build their go-cart. Rafael builds his go-cart as per the instructions, however when he goes to visit his neighbor/classmate, Maya, he notices that she is putting a twist on hers. They agree to work together to create a plane that even though it is made fun of a first helps them win the race. At the end of the story, Maya and Rafael seem to continue with their imaginative ideas and decide to build a frog-hopping go-cart.
Personal Reaction:
I really enjoyed this book. I bought it on a whim at my campus bookstore. I enjoyed how the book seems to be a message to kids to use their creativity to the max. The book’s illustrations also were very important to me because the picture helped move the story along but did not tell the story alone. My favorite illustration was the pages that had all of the go-cart kits with the names of the students on them because it could have been looked over that every student got the same box but it added a new level to the illustration.
Extension Ideas:
1. One idea would be to make a kit with the same things in every box. Give the boxes out to the students and tell them to use what is in the box to create their own creation.
2. Allow for the students to write about what sparks their imagination; for example, if books or T.V. or walking outside.… (més)