Franklin Goes to Day Camp

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Unlike the four larger Franklin activity books evaluated in the next
review, Franklin Goes to Day Camp is a combined story/activity book in
which the story is the framework for the interspersed activities.
Because its format is the same size as Franklin storybooks, children
expecting a story will get one—but one that advances in fits and
starts and is interrupted by pencil activities and games. Once a child
completes a game, will he or she relinquish the pencil and listen to the
story’s conclusion? And will all of the book’s activities be
completed in one sitting? If the answer to either question is “no,”
the story is forfeited. Also, when the activities are completed the book
loses its usefulness, as the story itself is plotless. It would have
been better had Bourgeois and Clark produced either a Franklin storybook
with activities placed at the back or another Franklin activity book. As
it is, I cannot recommend it for schools and libraries.