Encore Grace! - Softcover

Mary Hoffman has written more than 70 books for children, and her powers of observation bring vitality and humour to all her stories and retellings.

Her previous titles for Dorling Kindersley include Henry's Baby and A First Bible Story Book. Her best-known picture books are Amazing Grace, Three Wise Women, and An Angel Just Like Me. Mary lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and they have three daughters. The girls were brought up on myths and legends, of which Mary and her husband have an extensive collection.

Grade 2-5-This chapter book, which features a character first introduced in the picture book Amazing Grace (1991), has an old-fashioned tone. Grace and her friends play imaginatively, adults are mostly understanding, and even word choices seem dated. However, Grace is faced with challenges that are universal and timeless. She must deal with the death of an elderly neighbor, saying good-bye to a friend who moves away, and feelings of jealousy when a bright new girl at school tries to steal the show. She must also face the consequences after being caught skipping school, and worries that her mother may remarry. As in Starring Grace (2000, both Dial), the lively protagonist gets to act in a play, this time an updated version of Sleeping Beauty. Settings are spare, feelings are sometimes described more than shown, and Grace's friends and loving African-American family do not come to life. Allan's occasional black-and-white sketches do not radiate much emotion or action. Encore, Grace! is a pleasant read but only a first purchase where the earlier books are popular.
Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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