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Tales from Deckawoo Drive #5
Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem
Metaphor alert! An ode to a certain pig kicks off one wild school day in Kate DiCamillo’s latest stop on Deckawoo Drive.
Stella Endicott loves her teacher, Miss Liliana, and she is thrilled when the class is assigned to write a poem. Stella crafts a beautiful poem about Mercy Watson, the pig who lives next door — a poem complete with a metaphor and full of curiosity and courage. But Horace Broom, Stella's irritating classmate, insists that Stella’s poem is full of lies and that pigs do not live in houses. And when Stella and Horace get into a shouting match in the classroom, Miss Liliana banishes them to the principal’s office. Will the two of them find a way to turn this opposite-of-a-poem day around? In the newest spirited outing in the Deckawoo Drive series by Kate DiCamillo, anything is possible — even a friendship with a boy deemed to be (metaphorically speaking) an overblown balloon.
Stella Endicott loves her teacher, Miss Liliana, and she is thrilled when the class is assigned to write a poem. Stella crafts a beautiful poem about Mercy Watson, the pig who lives next door — a poem complete with a metaphor and full of curiosity and courage. But Horace Broom, Stella's irritating classmate, insists that Stella’s poem is full of lies and that pigs do not live in houses. And when Stella and Horace get into a shouting match in the classroom, Miss Liliana banishes them to the principal’s office. Will the two of them find a way to turn this opposite-of-a-poem day around? In the newest spirited outing in the Deckawoo Drive series by Kate DiCamillo, anything is possible — even a friendship with a boy deemed to be (metaphorically speaking) an overblown balloon.
96 pages, Hardcover
Published June 9, 2020
80 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
Kate DiCamillo
163 books11k followersKate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.
Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.
Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.
Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early-chapter-book series - Mercy Watson, which stars a "porcine wonder" with an obsession for buttered toast, and Bink & Gollie, which celebrates the tall and short of a marvelous friendship - as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy.
Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal. It was released in fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Flora & Ulysses is a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format - a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black and white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. It was a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
June 8, 2020
“Anything can happen, Stella Endicott, anything at all.”Stella Endicott loves second grade and is looking forward to writing a poem with metaphors that will impress her teacher, Miss Liliana. Things don’t go as planned when Horace Broom, second grade know-it-all and the bane of Stella’s existence, calls her a liar.
An argument ensues, which results in Stella and Horace being sent to the principal’s office. While Stella is determined to meet her fate with curiosity and courage, Horace isn’t so sure.
While facing fears and finding metaphors, Stella and Horace find some common ground and an unexpected new friend.
This is a sweet story that includes a few words that the target audience may find difficult. Chris Van Dusen’s illustrations are as wonderful as I’ve come to expect, with expressive characters and humour.
Leroy Ninker’s story felt unfinished to me in Leroy Ninker Saddles Up and Stella’s story feels unfinished here. Although there is a conclusion, I’m left with unanswered questions. Did Stella ever get to share her poem with the class? What did Miss Liliana think of it?
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.
April 17, 2020
I've really enjoyed most of the rest of the books in this series (and in the original Mercy Watson series). Kate DiCamillo's challenging-yet-accessible writing plays a large part in what makes these books a little bit different. While I enjoyed this one (being a fan of both series), I can't say that it was my favourite. I found the story a little on the weak side, and I wasn't a fan of the characters.
After Stella ends up in a shouting match with a classmate over whether or not pigs sit on couches, they're both sent to the principal's office. But when Horace chickens out and runs away, Stella goes after him, leading to both children getting locked in the supply closet where they face their fears and become friends.
There is plenty of challenging vocabulary in this book (which isn't unusual for a DiCamillo title), but here I found it a little off-putting in the way it was presented. I don't remember the hard words being explained by the characters in the other books (although, it's been a while since I read them, so maybe they were). I got a definite Fancy Nancy vibe here, especially when Horace kept spouting word definitions like an overzealous dictionary.
I'm not going to comment on the artwork, since I read an ARC and most of the pictures were roughly sketched placeholders. I can't foresee them being anything other than adorable, though, given Van Dusen's work on the other books in the series.
Overall, while this is a nice addition to the series, it's definitely not my favourite set in this world. I'd recommend it mostly to fans of Mercy Watson and her neighbours on Deckawoo Drive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a digital ARC.
After Stella ends up in a shouting match with a classmate over whether or not pigs sit on couches, they're both sent to the principal's office. But when Horace chickens out and runs away, Stella goes after him, leading to both children getting locked in the supply closet where they face their fears and become friends.
There is plenty of challenging vocabulary in this book (which isn't unusual for a DiCamillo title), but here I found it a little off-putting in the way it was presented. I don't remember the hard words being explained by the characters in the other books (although, it's been a while since I read them, so maybe they were). I got a definite Fancy Nancy vibe here, especially when Horace kept spouting word definitions like an overzealous dictionary.
I'm not going to comment on the artwork, since I read an ARC and most of the pictures were roughly sketched placeholders. I can't foresee them being anything other than adorable, though, given Van Dusen's work on the other books in the series.
Overall, while this is a nice addition to the series, it's definitely not my favourite set in this world. I'd recommend it mostly to fans of Mercy Watson and her neighbours on Deckawoo Drive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a digital ARC.
July 21, 2020
So good. However, during the 2020-2021 school year, I would recommend kids not lock themselves in janitorial closets with their classmates. Six Feet of distance, please!
June 25, 2020
3.5*
I loved discovering the Deckawoo Drive and Mercy Watson books years ago by Kate DiCamillo. I loved reading out loud to my children. We had many laughs and giggles while reading them. This is a fun addition to the Deckawoo Drive series and has a cameo by Mercy Watson who endeared herself to my family with her adventures.
Stella is a determined little girl. I thought this was written very well from her perspective. Especially as she is trying to make sense of things happening around her. From school and her teacher, to her classmate. She takes experiences and moments from her life and processes them into the situations she finds herself in. With a writing assignment given to her class by their teacher, Miss Lilliana, Stella sets out to understand and write a poem. What she thinks is wonderful isn't always thought of as wonderful by others. There's moments of hurt and uncertainty. But I loved Stella's tenacity to power through thanks to her friends and their past conversations.
Stella finds herself learning, going on a mini adventure and developing friendships where she didn't know she would. I think many kids will thoroughly enjoy this adventure. I was a little unsure about some of the adult characters on my initial read through. But after thinking about it some more, we all encounter many different personalities throughout our lives and this shows Stella doing that very thing.
Content: Clean
I received a copy from the publisher, Candlewick Press, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
I loved discovering the Deckawoo Drive and Mercy Watson books years ago by Kate DiCamillo. I loved reading out loud to my children. We had many laughs and giggles while reading them. This is a fun addition to the Deckawoo Drive series and has a cameo by Mercy Watson who endeared herself to my family with her adventures.
Stella is a determined little girl. I thought this was written very well from her perspective. Especially as she is trying to make sense of things happening around her. From school and her teacher, to her classmate. She takes experiences and moments from her life and processes them into the situations she finds herself in. With a writing assignment given to her class by their teacher, Miss Lilliana, Stella sets out to understand and write a poem. What she thinks is wonderful isn't always thought of as wonderful by others. There's moments of hurt and uncertainty. But I loved Stella's tenacity to power through thanks to her friends and their past conversations.
Stella finds herself learning, going on a mini adventure and developing friendships where she didn't know she would. I think many kids will thoroughly enjoy this adventure. I was a little unsure about some of the adult characters on my initial read through. But after thinking about it some more, we all encounter many different personalities throughout our lives and this shows Stella doing that very thing.
Content: Clean
I received a copy from the publisher, Candlewick Press, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
May 1, 2020
Kate DiCamillo captures kids in an amazing way. One of the greatest struggles in teaching metaphor to children is concrete thinking. They take everything so literally. In Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem, Kate DiCamillo introduces two polarized characters: the imaginative thinker and the literal thinker.
It is so fun to journey through their literal conflict as they metaphorically represent the struggle with creating good metaphors. Stella is constantly dreaming up ideas while Horace purposes to bring her back to reality. I love how they work through their problem and learn from one another in the end.
This book took me on a journey back through the Mercy Watson series and then the other Tales from Deckawoo Drive. These books are just as serious as they need to be. They're great tools for encouraging struggling readers to keep reading!
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All of my opinions are my own!
It is so fun to journey through their literal conflict as they metaphorically represent the struggle with creating good metaphors. Stella is constantly dreaming up ideas while Horace purposes to bring her back to reality. I love how they work through their problem and learn from one another in the end.
This book took me on a journey back through the Mercy Watson series and then the other Tales from Deckawoo Drive. These books are just as serious as they need to be. They're great tools for encouraging struggling readers to keep reading!
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All of my opinions are my own!
September 9, 2023
Short and sweet. Just darling.
I would love more Deckawoo Drive stories. My grandchildren and I delight in them.
I would love more Deckawoo Drive stories. My grandchildren and I delight in them.
July 5, 2020
My young readers have always loved Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson and her Tales from Deckawoo Drive series. And now I'm excited at the possibility of being about to share the latest Deckawoo tale with them. Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is the fifth volume in the series and I know my kids are already excited about it, thanks to Zoom meetings. I haven't read it to them (copyright laws), but this is pretty much what I have told them about it:
It's Stella's first day of second grade and it just so happens that her new teacher, Tamar Calliope Liliana, loves the same things Stella loves - 'listening closely, speaking softly, and singing loudly.' Second grade is definitely on course to be wonderful. Well, except for Horace Broom, the class know-it-all, who naturally knows the definition of metaphor when Ms. Liliana asks if the class knows what a metaphor is before assigning them homework - to write a poem with a metaphor in it. That ought to be easy, Stella thinks, especially since Ms. Liliana also agrees with Baby Lincoln - that anything is possible in stories and in poems, too.
But writing a poem that includes a metaphor AND the idea of that anything is possible isn't as easy as Stella thought it would. Needing some moral support and inspiration, Stella heads over to visit Mercy Watson and sure enough, she comes up with a lovely poem that includes Mercy.
The next day, proud of what she has written, Stella mistakenly lets Horace read her poem but when he comes to the part where Mercy is sitting on the couch, he insists that pigs do not do that, that it is not possible, that pigs live on farms. But Stella stands her ground and insists that Mercy lives in a house and sits on the couch - all the time. No longer 'speaking softly,' Ms. Liliana sends Stella and Horace to Mr. Tinwiddie, the principal, and it is a trip from classroom to principal's office like no other. But by the end of their adventure, Stella and Horace have become friends, and have learned to respect their differences, and look at things from the other's point of view. My young readers are just going to have to wait to find out what adventures Stella and Horace have on their to Mr. Tinwiddie's office.
Stella's story, like all the Deckawoo tales, is just charming. DiCamillo has taken something a simple as a poem and a walk to the principal's office to highlight Stella and Horace's different and opposite personalities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and has shown us how adversaries can learn to use them to help each other and even forge a friendship.
I've read the Mercy Watson and the Deckawoo tales to a lot of kids and one of the things they really like about them are the recurring characters, and not only that, but the characters are always consistently who the kids expect them to be, in both the action of the story and the illustrations. And kids like that - it's familiar and comfortable and feels like they are seeing old friends each time they visit and revisit Deckawoo Drive. And yet each story is refreshingly new and has a gentle lesson that even my youngest readers can grasp. And Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is no different.
And luckily, there is a treasure trove of Tales from Deckawoo Drive. Have you read them all?
It's Stella's first day of second grade and it just so happens that her new teacher, Tamar Calliope Liliana, loves the same things Stella loves - 'listening closely, speaking softly, and singing loudly.' Second grade is definitely on course to be wonderful. Well, except for Horace Broom, the class know-it-all, who naturally knows the definition of metaphor when Ms. Liliana asks if the class knows what a metaphor is before assigning them homework - to write a poem with a metaphor in it. That ought to be easy, Stella thinks, especially since Ms. Liliana also agrees with Baby Lincoln - that anything is possible in stories and in poems, too.
But writing a poem that includes a metaphor AND the idea of that anything is possible isn't as easy as Stella thought it would. Needing some moral support and inspiration, Stella heads over to visit Mercy Watson and sure enough, she comes up with a lovely poem that includes Mercy.
The next day, proud of what she has written, Stella mistakenly lets Horace read her poem but when he comes to the part where Mercy is sitting on the couch, he insists that pigs do not do that, that it is not possible, that pigs live on farms. But Stella stands her ground and insists that Mercy lives in a house and sits on the couch - all the time. No longer 'speaking softly,' Ms. Liliana sends Stella and Horace to Mr. Tinwiddie, the principal, and it is a trip from classroom to principal's office like no other. But by the end of their adventure, Stella and Horace have become friends, and have learned to respect their differences, and look at things from the other's point of view. My young readers are just going to have to wait to find out what adventures Stella and Horace have on their to Mr. Tinwiddie's office.
Stella's story, like all the Deckawoo tales, is just charming. DiCamillo has taken something a simple as a poem and a walk to the principal's office to highlight Stella and Horace's different and opposite personalities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and has shown us how adversaries can learn to use them to help each other and even forge a friendship.
I've read the Mercy Watson and the Deckawoo tales to a lot of kids and one of the things they really like about them are the recurring characters, and not only that, but the characters are always consistently who the kids expect them to be, in both the action of the story and the illustrations. And kids like that - it's familiar and comfortable and feels like they are seeing old friends each time they visit and revisit Deckawoo Drive. And yet each story is refreshingly new and has a gentle lesson that even my youngest readers can grasp. And Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is no different.
And luckily, there is a treasure trove of Tales from Deckawoo Drive. Have you read them all?
November 18, 2021
As long as there is a tale from deckawoo drive and a boy to share it with, we'll read it aloud and rate it 5 stars.
June 28, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was published June 9th 2020, by Candlewick Press.
This book filled my heart so full I thought it just might burst with happiness. Truthfully almost all of Kate DiCamillo’s books leave me feeling like this, but her Deckawoo Drive series is especially endearing. I am a serious fan.
Stella Suzanne Endicott thinks her second grade teacher, Miss Tamar Liliana, is a “Good Fairy Who Vanquishes Old and Irritated Wizards.” She’s not so fond of Horace Broom who knows the answers to every question Miss Liliana asks.
When she lets Horace read her poem, they get in an argument over where pigs live. Horace insists that they live on a farm so Stella cannot possibly have a pig friend who sits on couches. The two end up in a shouting match and are sent to the principal’s office.
On the way Horace falls apart emotionally and Stella tries her best to encourage him to face what is to come. Before their day is over, the two of them end up trapped in a janitor’s closet. What we discover is that as these two children face adversity, they survive because of their combined different strengths.
Although the ending was not unexpected, I was still delighted by it. Not only do they become friends, they learn that life is all about patterns and surprises. All of us, no matter our ages, can stand to be reminded of this jewel of truth.
I love that Stella lives on Deckawoo Drive and through her, we readers get to spend time with Mercy and find out how things are going with Baby and Eugenia Lincoln.
I love Chris Van Dusen’s art in all the other books in the series and am looking forward to seeing the finished illustrations for this one.
This book filled my heart so full I thought it just might burst with happiness. Truthfully almost all of Kate DiCamillo’s books leave me feeling like this, but her Deckawoo Drive series is especially endearing. I am a serious fan.
Stella Suzanne Endicott thinks her second grade teacher, Miss Tamar Liliana, is a “Good Fairy Who Vanquishes Old and Irritated Wizards.” She’s not so fond of Horace Broom who knows the answers to every question Miss Liliana asks.
When she lets Horace read her poem, they get in an argument over where pigs live. Horace insists that they live on a farm so Stella cannot possibly have a pig friend who sits on couches. The two end up in a shouting match and are sent to the principal’s office.
On the way Horace falls apart emotionally and Stella tries her best to encourage him to face what is to come. Before their day is over, the two of them end up trapped in a janitor’s closet. What we discover is that as these two children face adversity, they survive because of their combined different strengths.
Although the ending was not unexpected, I was still delighted by it. Not only do they become friends, they learn that life is all about patterns and surprises. All of us, no matter our ages, can stand to be reminded of this jewel of truth.
I love that Stella lives on Deckawoo Drive and through her, we readers get to spend time with Mercy and find out how things are going with Baby and Eugenia Lincoln.
I love Chris Van Dusen’s art in all the other books in the series and am looking forward to seeing the finished illustrations for this one.
May 18, 2020
Stella Endicott has spunk in the classroom. When her teacher Miss Liliana gives the classroom a new assignment on writing poems, Stella sees the possibilities. The poem must be written in metaphor and Stella the curious learner, begins looking at everything as a metaphor. Not only do you have metaphors you have ironies when Stella comes face to face with Horace Broom her antagonist. Horace Broom is to literal and Stella she has spunk. The ironies begin.
I love how this fun spunky girl can make reading fun and introduces to reading and writing concepts. If your children are learners, readers, loves new words, and playful, Stella will have them wanting more.
A Special Thank you to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
I love how this fun spunky girl can make reading fun and introduces to reading and writing concepts. If your children are learners, readers, loves new words, and playful, Stella will have them wanting more.
A Special Thank you to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
June 23, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review.
The newest book in Tales from Deckawoo Drive is here! This series is a spinoff of the popular Mercy Watson series and is a slightly higher reading level. My son could probably read this one on his own now, but since we read the previous books aloud we decided to do this one that way as well.
We only meant to read a couple chapters but then kept going and finished the entire thing in one sitting! This is a really fun addition to the series with classmate misunderstandings, creativity, lively illustrations from @chrisvandusen and metaphors aplenty!
The newest book in Tales from Deckawoo Drive is here! This series is a spinoff of the popular Mercy Watson series and is a slightly higher reading level. My son could probably read this one on his own now, but since we read the previous books aloud we decided to do this one that way as well.
We only meant to read a couple chapters but then kept going and finished the entire thing in one sitting! This is a really fun addition to the series with classmate misunderstandings, creativity, lively illustrations from @chrisvandusen and metaphors aplenty!
June 7, 2020
I've consistently loved the Mercy Watson/Deckawoo Drive books, but this might be my new favorite.
I read it aloud to my 10-, 7-, and 5-year-olds and they all loved it. It's a sweet story with great new characters (at least I think they're new.... I don't recall meeting Stella or Horace before, but I could be wrong) and some fun with language (metaphorical and literal, lol).
Overall, highly highly recommended and huge thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read it early!
I read it aloud to my 10-, 7-, and 5-year-olds and they all loved it. It's a sweet story with great new characters (at least I think they're new.... I don't recall meeting Stella or Horace before, but I could be wrong) and some fun with language (metaphorical and literal, lol).
Overall, highly highly recommended and huge thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read it early!
August 23, 2020
Stella tiene una imaginación desbordante, es por eso que cuando su profesora les asigna la tarea de escribir un poema será toda una aventura, hasta que Horace su irritante compañero la llama mentirosa y los mandan al director, sin duda una historia entretenida y con ilustraciones muy hermosas.
September 2, 2020
I love this one! Wish I had a classroom to use it in as an intro for poetry/metaphors.
January 13, 2023
I read this book with my 5 year old daughter. She has been loving Mercy Watson , but this installment of the Deckawoo Drive series was lacking in the pig department. It was a cute pig, but we want more Mercy!
November 1, 2023
This series is quickly becoming a favorite. In this book, Stella and a friend get in trouble for arguing in class. She's learning about metaphors through poetry and she discovers her bravery, her voice and that anything is possible!
March 26, 2025
We've always been a fan of Stella so we were excited to see she had a book of her own! We really enjoyed this poetic adventure. We are finishing it thinking about curiosity, courage, patterns and surprises.
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July 2, 2020Bahni Turpin is my favorite narrator and I was thrilled to hear her when I turned on the audiobook.
July 27, 2020
Stella’s passion strongly comes through as she works on a poetry assignment and cannot stand her classmate, Horace. An argument ensues between Horace and Stella after he reads her poem and is fastidious about its content. They are inadvertently locked in the janitor closet where they bond in the darkness transformed into the night sky.
July 8, 2021
Heartwarming story.
October 2, 2022
A cute little tale
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August 13, 2025I enjoyed this longer version of the Mercy Watson series...makes me want to read the other Tales from Decawoo Drive. All the kids love Mercy Watson, from the 6-year-old to the 3-year-old. Big hit.
May 13, 2020
Cute!!
July 17, 2020
My grand daughter will love this book!
October 7, 2020
We love the Mercy Watson books in this house because they are quirky, the very best beginner chapter books, AND illustrated by our favorite Chris Van Dusen. But as the mom, I love even more the follow up series, the Tales From Deckawoo Drive. They have all of the same charm but take things to the next level - I feel they give the kiddos and the adults alike a little something deeper to sit with and grow in. This one about an unexpected friendship with the person you'd least imagine. A little spontaneity and hope like that is a really welcome thing in my world right now. Keep them coming, DiCamillo!
August 29, 2021
Really enjoyed this one. I liked how the two kids didn’t get along in the beginning but learned to like each other despite their differences.
October 9, 2020
Very cute addition to this series. Note to myself that although it is a short chapter book that includes beautiful illustrations, the vocabulary of the story may be difficult for younger readers.
October 1, 2020
Kate DiCamillo is by far one of my favorite authors and I love using her books in the classroom. I was very excited to read “Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible-Poem” and it did not disappoint.
This is a very engaging story and it was wonderful to see the familiar characters from the previous Mercy Waston series.
This book could easily be used in the classroom to compliment a figurative language unit. Metaphors and similes are my favorite thing to teach and this book would be a great addition to a lesson.
Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is a very engaging story and it was wonderful to see the familiar characters from the previous Mercy Waston series.
This book could easily be used in the classroom to compliment a figurative language unit. Metaphors and similes are my favorite thing to teach and this book would be a great addition to a lesson.
Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 11, 2020
The 5th title in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive does not disappoint! Stella Endicott who lives next door to The Watsons, owners of Mercy the pig, loves to drop by their house for a chance to visit with Mercy. She's excited because for homework she gets to write a poem around a metaphor to share with the class. Full of pride, the next day Stella privately shares her poem with her nemesis, "know-it-all" Horace Broom. He criticizes her entire poem, informing her of all the mistakes she's made. Responding angrily Stella and Horace's conversation soon escalates into a yelling match, earning them a trip to their extremely scary principal. Of couse since it's a "Tales from Deckawoo Drive" title, the ending is exciting and surprising. The advanced vocabulary including the word "metaphor"explained within the story adds extra pizzaz, the well rounded believeable characters, confident competent Stella, and annoyingly self confident Horace, give this story lots of depth. This is the best title in the series so far because of the delightful conversation between the youngsters, highlighting eventually their ability to move on with new discoveries. Kate DiCamillo's characters are so true to life and spunky, accompanied by Chris Van Dusen's wondrous illustrations, making this treasure of a chapter book come to life.
September 26, 2020
This newest entry in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series features Stella Endicott. As always a few of the other characters we love from Mercy Watson to the Rescue make appearances, but the main focus is Stella working on a poem, bonus readers learn about metaphors, and dealing with classmates and a trip to the principal's office. The new side characters are delightful as always, and the illustrations are so fun. I read this aloud to my kids and they loved it as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews