Robyn's Best Idea

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

A little stray cat lives in the alley behind Robyn’s apartment
building. The building has a “no pets” rule, so Robyn can’t keep
it. When Robyn doesn’t have any fancy toys or pets to bring in to
school for “My Life,” she feels queasy worrying about what to bring.
It bothers her that her classmate Jessica is rich and can have anything
she wants, while Robyn and her mom have to worry about money for the
rent and bills. It is a problem that has no solution no matter how hard
Robyn thinks about it.

One day, when Robyn sees the little cat in the snow, she thinks about
what it means for the cat to be homeless and comes up with a great idea.
She draws a picture of the stray for her class presentation and asks if
anyone could give it a home. When Jessica comes by to adopt it, Robyn
realizes that she may not own a lot of things but she does have good
ideas.

This is a wonderful example of how thoughtful, detailed, and sensitive
a first chapter book can be. Robyn’s character is gentle and creative,
and the problems she faces seem simple but are quite profound. As with
all First Novels, the large-print format and expressive illustrations
make them attractive and accessible for beginning readers. Highly
recommended.