Fun with My Friends

Jami van Haaften is a librarian and author of An Index to Selected
Canadian Provincial Government Publications for Librarians, Teachers and
Booksellers.

When completed, the In My World Series will be an 18-volume work covering the social studies curriculum for grades K-3. Future titles deal with community and city life, animal communities, food we eat, how we send messages and time. The publisher also offers an All About Me Activity Guide, with more project and activity ideas.

Author Bobbie Kalman heads a team of writers and illustrators. The series was designed after consultation with educators, curriculum analysis, and field tests. Her earlier work, the Early Settler Life Series, also was aimed at the social studies curriculum.

The format is bright and colourful, with the text limited to the margins and the pictures taking up the remainder of a two-page spread. The stories or poems are written in the first person and are followed by questions for further discussion.

At the end of each volume are ideas for projects, a vocabulary listing for the reader to write his own story, and a “let’s explore” section encouraging discussion.

The style of text will appeal to readers in the 5 to 8 age group. Short sentences allow the reader to progress down the margin at a satisfying pace. Each two-page spread is a story in itself, and the reader is introduced to twelve different characters and topics in each volume.

The writers and illustrators deserve full marks for putting together an innovative package. The series will be valued by teachers, librarians, and special educators trying to enliven their students’ awareness of the world around them.