From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-In this fourth book in the series, Ike and Mem are catching lightning bugs with their friends when Dave kills one of the insects and presses the "lightning part" onto the back of his finger to make a glow ring. Mem is horrified, and her reaction intensifies when, like the other boys, her brother follows suit and accepts the makings of a ring for his own finger. Mem refuses to talk to her brother, and Ike is consumed by guilt and disappointed in his own behavior. To redeem himself, he uses his savings to buy all of the other children plastic lightning rings, confronts Dave, and apologizes to Mem. Spot and full-page pencil drawings complement this quiet, thoughtful story. A good addition for beginning chapter-book collections.
Linda B. Zeilstra, Skokie Public Library, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Linda B. Zeilstra, Skokie Public Library, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Grade 2-4-In this fourth book in the series, Ike and Mem are catching lightning bugs with their friends when Dave kills one of the insects and presses the "lightning part" onto the back of his finger to make a glow ring. Mem is horrified, and her reaction intensifies when, like the other boys, her brother follows suit and accepts the makings of a ring for his own finger. Mem refuses to talk to her brother, and Ike is consumed by guilt and disappointed in his own behavior. To redeem himself, he uses his savings to buy all of the other children plastic lightning rings, confronts Dave, and apologizes to Mem. Spot and full-page pencil drawings complement this quiet, thoughtful story. A good addition for beginning chapter-book collections. Linda B. Zeilstra, Skokie Public Library, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. (School Library Journal )
Book Description
Ike feels bad about not saying anything to neighborhood bully Dave when Dave insists on killing lightning bugs to separate their glowing parts from their bodies to make "lightning rings" for the other children's fingers.
About the Author
Anna Alter is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She illustrated "The Three Little Kittens" and "Estelle and Lucy", which she also wrote. She lives in Massachusetts.
Patrick Jennings is the author of many books for young readers, including the recent BookSense Children's Pick "Out Standing in My Field." His Ike and Mem series was a success with the chapter book crowd, and "Booklist" observed in a starred review, "The writing is all the more telling in its spareness." He lives in Washington State.
Patrick Jennings is the author of many books for young readers, including the recent BookSense Children's Pick "Out Standing in My Field." His Ike and Mem series was a success with the chapter book crowd, and "Booklist" observed in a starred review, "The writing is all the more telling in its spareness." He lives in Washington State.
