Amazing Grace

Title: Amazing Grace

Author: Mary Hoffman

Illustrator: Caroine Binch

Stars: 5 out of 5

Summary: A little girl name Grace loves to listen to stories and act them out, always giving herself the most exciting part. After reading peter pan her class is going to act it out. Grace wants the role of Peter Pan, but a couple of her class mates tell her she can not play the role because she is a girl and black. Grace shows them and ends up winning the vote and acting as Peter Pan in the play.

I wanted to read this story because I have heard so many good things about it and I had never had the chance to read it myself. I now understand why there are so many positive reviews. What a positive story for a child. I love the way Hoffman and Binch show Grace imagining herself in a plethora of roles including a spider, an Indian chief, and a pirate. This is a great introduction to the story because all little kids love to imagine. Their whole play time is devoted to using toys in imaginative settings.  This story will draw each child in because they can relate to Grace even if they are not a girl or they are not black. There is such a positive atmosphere when Grace is told that she’ll never be able to play Peter Pan. Grace is surrounded by support from her family members which gives the reader a sense of stability. I love the part when the Grandma tells Grace that “Natalie is another one who don’t know nothing.” We can really see the grandma and hear how much she disagrees with Natalie.  I love how the grandma takes Grace to a ballet where the Juliet is black. I believe that the grandma is trying to show Grace that it doesn’t matter the color of your skin, it’s how you do what you are there to do. Grace loves the ballet and we can see how excited she is while she is twirling around in her imaginary tutu. The story ends with Grace wowing her classmates and becoming Peter Pan with a unanimous vote. The over all theme that we hear see and feel is that Grace can do and be anything she wants to be even if people tell her she cant. The reader almost becomes Grace and gets a feeling that he or she can do anything as well. I think this is a great story that should be in every families home and would have a great place in the classroom.