Youth Book Review

Donavan's Word Jar

Written by Monalisa DeGross, Illustrated by Cheryl Hanna

Reviewed by Mazi Iverem Chiles
SeeingBlack.com Junior Writer

This book, about a boy named Donavan Allen who collects words in a jar, is the first book that helped me see a picture in my mind as I read. I read it last year when I was in the second grade. It really helped me to enjoy reading chapter books.

Donavan was in the third grade with a teacher named Ms. Panky. Donavan started his collection one morning when he saw the word "nutrition" and he wrote it on a sheet of paper and put it on a jar. After that, he kept writing and saving words. One Friday morning, Donavan saw that there was no more room in his word jar but he wanted to collect more words. Donavan thought that since his Grandma always has good ideas, she might him solve his problem. He went over to her apartment after he babysat his little sister Nikki. It was raining really hard when he went out.

His grandma was really old. At first, Donavan didn't like his grandma's idea but he realized that it was a good idea to trade his ideas for stuff. When Donavan heard Miz Marylou and Mr. Bill arguing, he gave them the word "compromise." Then the two came to an agreement. He left his words on the desk beside the two elderly people and went back inside his grandma's apartment. When he came back out with her, lots of the elderly people had come from their apartments and taken a word from his jar. It was empty!

His grandma gave him a larger jar to hold his new words. His grandpa used it for a cigar holder.

I like this story because it taught me new words.

-- April 9, 2001

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