School from A to Z

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

“B is for Bus.” “F is for Friends.” “L is for Library.” “Q
is for Quiet and questions.” “U is for Uniforms.” “Z is for
Zany,” as in the many zany things kids do to have fun at school. This
latest volume in Crabtree’s AlphaBasiCs Series is written in typical
alphabet-book format for emerging readers. The content describes what it
is like to have a teacher and do homework. At the same time, students
can also have fun and try new experiences at school. Because the text is
honest yet reassuring about school routine, this book would also serve
as a first-rate resource for parents who have a nervous child about to
face his or her first day of school.

As a way of honing reading skills, the book suggests that students take
a sheet of paper and write down all the words on each page that begin
with the featured letter. To get them started, all the A words on the A
page are highlighted, but after that, students are challenged to find
the key words on their own. Exuberant photographs on every page reflect
the rich racial and cultural diversity of today’s Canadian public
school system. Highly recommended.