Books like The Wednesday Surprise

The Wednesday Surprise is intended for students in kindergarten through third grade. It is a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ALA Notable Book (1989). This is a heartwarming story about a granddaughter and her successful efforts to teach her grandmother how to read as a birthday surprise for another family member. The importance of literacy, family, and love are all present throughout the book. The main themes of the book are literacy, love, and family. The main focus of the book is on the lessons old and young share when they love, believe in each other, and learn to read each other's hearts. This heartwarming story of an unexpected birthday surprise of learning to read has a message about adult literacy and the importance of learning to read before you are an adult. The illustrations are beautiful and are done with watercolors, colors that are subtle, yet colorful. They compliment the story well and are the perfect addition in helping to support this story of a warm and loving family. This story would be best used in the classroom to when discussing or writing about the importance of family and learning how to read.