Kate Heads West

While enjoying a summer vacation traveling with her best friend, Lucy, through Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona, Kate writes a series of letters home

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- In Your Best Friend, Kate , (Bradbury, 1989), Brisson chronicles a young girl's Florida vacation through letters to her best friend, Lucy. This time, Kate accompanies Lucy and her family on a trip through four south-western states. Once again, in her letters to friends and relatives, Kate describes the cultural attractions, historic places, and geological wonders she sees. A letter to her teacher points out the educational benefits of travel, but events like the Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest in Weatherford, Oklahoma keep the tone lighthearted and childlike. Kate's last letter is a thank-you note to Lucy's parents. Brown's cartoon-style illustrations remain consistent with the book's scrapbook feeling, while sketches of state flowers, birds, and trees unobtrusively add a few facts. A book that will be enjoyed by armchair travelers and families planning a similar trip, while social-studies and language-art teachers will find the book useful for curriculum support. --Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Public Library, TX
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