Tom T's Hat Rack: Review

Tom T's Hat Rack
Author: Michele Spry
Illustrator: Peggy A. Guest
Publisher: Spry Publishing
Pages: 106

Summary:

Shelby Summers has a zest for life that can't be tamed... Tom Tucker has a dream of helping others who are facing the challenges he faced not too long ago. Join Shelby and Mr.T as they join forces to give back to their community, and be challenged to do the same for yours! (Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

To Shelby, Mr. and Mrs. T are like her grandparents. They help take care of her while her parents are working at the hospital. Mr. T has cancer and Shelby is always right by his side throughout all of his appointments.

Shelby's class is given an assignment to work on over the summer. They have to write an essay about something positively life changing they did over the summer. While her friends and classmates are vacationing, Shelby spends her summer break with Mr. T and they work on a project all summer to help out members of the community.  Shelby and Mr. T get all of the supplies they need for the project but Shelby won't know what they are making until they are done. She tries to be patient and works everyday without complaining. They end up contributing something wonderful to other people who are undergoing treatment for cancer.

This was a very touching story about paying it forward. It shows kids how they can help others who are going through a difficult time. They can make a difference in someones life and make their world a little bit brighter. I really enjoyed Shelby's attitude. She was always happy, upbeat, and positive. I also loved her relationship with Mr. and Mrs. T. It reminds me of the relationship I had with my grandfather.

The illustrations were nice but I had one complaint. Some of the drawings of Shelby reminded me of Carrot Top a little toooo much. Other than that they were great! All in all this was a very cute little story and it even shows you how to build a hat rack. It also encourages kids to come up with their own ideas about how to help others in their community, big or small!  

*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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