Sometimes children's imaginations astound me. Their creativity and their inventiveness surpasses that of any adult. In The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club by Daniel San Souci, children's ingenuity abounds. During their summer family vacation, brothers Danny and Bobby find a supposed "dinosaur bone" along with tadpoles and a King snake. They bring back their newly prized treasures and new ideas. Upon their return, Danny and Bobby and a group of their childhood friends decide to form a club. It is not just any club though; it's The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club.
When kids get an idea in their mind, they run with it at full speed. From expanding their snake and reptile collections to offering a showcase of their animals, the neighborhood friends pursued their interests...for a while at least. Yet, all good ideas do not last forever. The King snake escaped, and the dog bone was stolen. This was the beginning of the end. Kids' interest only lasts so long before they shift to a different pursuit.
I enjoyed the fact that the author, Daniel San Souci, used his own childhood memories to create this book. He remembered some of the wacky things his brother and he did as kids and turned it into an entertaining and humorous story. This book portrays children as carefree, lively, and active, but also shows that children want to feel important. By having clubs, kids gain their own sense of power.
This book shows children that everyone has a story to share. Kids can think about their favorite summer memory and perhaps develop their own summer story. Oh, to be a kid again!
No comments:
Post a Comment