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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

READ THIS: Randy Reilly's Really Big Hit

So not all boys are athletic. But many of them are still interested in sports. This cute tale about a boy who is more skilled at math and science really shows how it is ok to be smart. Randy thinks big and uses his whole brain and not his brawn to save his town. The illustrations complete this savvy story. This celebrates the premise that you should embrace what you personally do best when facing a challenge. There is always more then one way to skin a cat. Way to go Randy. I would always choose him first on my team. 

My four and a half year old son loves baseball and he loves robots. He also loves "Randy Riley's Really Big Hit" by Chris Van Dusen. This book tells the story of a little boy who loves science and robots and who becomes an unlikely hero by combining his love of the two. Randy Riley learns of a fireball headed straight for Earth. When his parents don't believe him, he takes matters into his own hands and builds an enormous robot. When his town learns that, yes, a fireball is headed straight for them, they begin to panic. Not Randy. Randy deploys his robot to hit the fireball away from his town. Randy and his robot are successful and Randy is a hero! This story is a great read and is further enhanced by fabulous artwork! 

One of the hardest things for me when I'm looking at books for my classroom library is finding books that my boys will enjoy. Some end up being duds, but others, like Randy Reilly's Really Big Hit ends up being a "really big hit"! My boys loved this story. Even though Randy is seen as the "nerdy" kid, he ends up being the hero of the town. It showed my boys that you can be anybody you want to. Plus, we loved how much this story had us laughing. The rhyming feel of the story made it catchy. This is a must have for anyone who loves science, baseball, and space! I highly recommend it. 

Randy Reilly's Really Big Hit has the most amazing illustrations!! The story is perfect - it is about a boy who loves science, robots and baseball! The author does a wonderful job of combining these three different passions. It encourages children to have multiple passions and encourages them to succeed. Not only do children get a kick out of this book but so do parents! I know we sure did! This is a must-have book for any child's library. It is also great to gift. 

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Randy likes space, robots, and baseball, but he can't ace everything . . . or can he? Chris Van Dusen knocks one out of the park with a comical ode to ingenuity.

Randy Riley loves two things: science and baseball. When it comes to the solar system, the constellations, and all things robot, Randy is a genius. But on the baseball diamond? Not so much. He tries . . . but whiffs every time. Then, one night, Randy sees something shocking through his Space Boy telescope: it's a fireball, and it's headed right for his town! Randy does the math, summons all of his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way. Once again, Chris Van Dusen winds up his visual humor, dizzying perspectives, perfect pacing, and rollicking rhyme and delivers a hit to make readers stand up and cheer. 





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