Parents' Guide to 26 Fairmount Avenue

Book Tomie dePaola Family Life 1999
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Common Sense Media Review

By Ann Marie Sammataro , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Amusing tales from author's childhood.

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Why Age 6+?

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

 

 

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What's the Story?

"I guess 1938 was a special year. Not only because of the hurricane, but because it was the year we started building 26 Fairmount Avenue." Popular picture-book author/illustrator Tomie dePaola tickles reader's fancies with funny tales about his precocious childhood. Warmly drawn black-and-white illustrations bring the rich assortment of characters to life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

This debut short chapter book from an author known for his picture books is a success. Tomie dePaola has a gift for retelling his experiences with a child's perspective and innocence, creating a narrative voice young children can easily relate to. His tales are peppered with historical references and events, but with details that appeal to kids, such as his memorable account of how an umbrella-wielding child became briefly airborne. Through all the stories, dePaola conveys a real sense of community, a traditional neighborhood where family and friends pull together to help each other.

Sketches arranged to resemble a photo album in the front pages of the book portray the key people in the stories. Readers can see what the familiar characters looked like, from dePaola's mom, Floss, to Nana Fall-River to his best friend, Carol Crane.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what stories from their lives they would put together into a book.

Book Details

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