Vernon would like to own a horse, so he saves with the hope of someday buying one. With a new companion, Vernon will have the freedom to ride carefree whenever he pleases.
Jamaica doesn't like wearing her brother's old hand-me-down boots to school. She's happy when the tiny hole in the toe gets bigger. Now her mother will have to take her shopping for new boots. She wants to buy some beautiful fuzzy pink ones like her friend Brianna's, but Brianna might think she's copying. So she picks out a pair of fancy cowboy boots. When Brianna tells Jamaica that cowboy boots aren't "in," Jamaica tells Brianna that her boots are ugly. Now everyone's feelings are hurt. Juanita Havill has a knack for capturing the real-life struggles of young children learning caring, responsible behavior. Award-winning narrator Lynne Thigpen gives a touching performance as she expresses the pangs of two friends learning valuable lessons about jealousy and friendship.
Jamaica has a problem. She's found a stuffed dog in the park, all dirty and worn from lots of hugging. Instead of taking it to the lost and found department, she's taken it home. Now, as she sits in her room staring at the dog, she's starting to feel bad. Maybe the toy dog belongs to a little girl just like Jamaica. When she decides to do the right thing and take the dog back to the park, she gets a very happy surprise. Jamaica's moral dilemma will undoubtedly interest young readers, as their consciences begin to grasp the concepts of right and wrong. Kim Staunton's reading supplies the compassion and empathy that children require in those all-too-familiar situations in which the right choice is not necessarily the easy one.
