Honey Trouble

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Josie is sure that she won’t forget that it is honey that she is to
buy at the store—so sure that she refuses to let Mom write her a note.
After all, Bonner’s Corner Store is only two blocks away. But, just in
case, Josie decides to use a mnemonic device to help her. She chooses
“bear” because bears love honey.

Predictably, Josie gets sidetracked en route and forgets what she is
supposed to buy. Her friends, Danny and Mrs. Lee, and her teacher, Mr.
Rapchuk, all try to help her remember using word associations—bear to
berries, strawberries (which are red) to bread, bread to sandwich to
baloney to honey. By the time Josie reaches the store, she’s forgotten
again. All she can remember is that it had something to do with “B.”
Storekeeper Mrs. Bonner to the rescue—“A bee makes
honey”—finally, Josie remembers.

Beginning readers will love the repetition and laugh at the logic of
Josie’s word associations as she attempts to make good on her promise
to remember. Teachers and librarians always on the lookout for early
chapter books will want to add this one to their collections.
Recommended.