Frances

We've been reading the Frances Books by the Hobans again and I just had to throw out a quick encouragement to anyone with a kid between the ages of 2 and 7: YOU NEED THESE BOOKS. Russell Hoban has got the voice down so pat. From the way Frances spells (wrong) words, to the things she eats, to the responses from the parents. Bread and Jam for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances and Best Friends for Frances are pretty much as perfect as they come. The Best Friends book is especially good for kids who are starting to break their friendships down along gender lines. (Girls can play baseball, too, Albert.) They're also good for kids who are learning that their siblings can be best friends, too.