All Jasper John Dooley was trying to do was practice his reading skills. He wanted to be ready for his turn to sit in the big, comfy chair at the library on Wednesday and read to Molly the Dog. But, even though Jasper was being so, so, so careful, the wonderful library book about toilet-paper-tube crafts accidentally falls into his bathwater and drowns. After that, he and his dad only make things worse by setting the book on fire and then shooting it with the fire extinguisher. "We're Book Killers," Jasper says gravely. He knows he's going to have to pay for the ruined book, or they'll never let him back in the library again. Except, from what Jasper can tell, the price printed on the book says two thousand five hundred dollars! How can Jasper possibly find a way to raise that much money? And before Wednesday? He'll need his best friend Ori's help now more than ever. The illustrated chapter books in acclaimed author Caroline Adderson's 'Jasper John Dooley' series are perfect for early readers. To Jasper, everything is an adventure, and his quirky and unique point of view is laugh-out-loud funny. Jasper's close relationship with his parents and his friendship with Ori offer young children wonderful role models for personal development. Here, Jasper clearly feels accountable for the library book entrusted to him, making this a great character education choice for discussing responsibility as well as how everyone makes mistakes. This book will be much sought after for independent reading, though it's also an excellent pick for read-aloud. AGES: 7-10 AUTHOR: Caroline first began writing for adults. Then, when her son was five, she wrote some simple stories based on their adventures. Eventually they were collected into her first children's book. Twelve books later, she's still writing for kids. ILLUSTRATOR: Mike Shiell has over twenty years of experience providing cartoons, greeting cards, illustration and animation to clients such as Nickelodeon, BBC, Kids Can Press, the Reader's Digest, the Saturday Evening Post, Smart Alex, Oatmeal Studios, Designer Greetings, NobleWorks, Hallmark, Prospect magazine (UK), The Oldie magazine (UK), King Features and LucasArts.
