The burden of suffering by these children and their families has created a health crisis. The South Bronx has never looked better. From the sidewalk crannies, bits of glass gleam. The sky is a calm, clear blue. The neighborhood, Mott Haven, has known too much strife.
Nothing is more satisfying to a new reader than the ability to read a book independently.
Many children's first steps toward becoming independent readers are taken with the help of chapter books. These books provide transitional reading for children who are ready to leave stories with limited plots and controlled vocabularies, but who are not prepared to tackle a fully developed novel. It's been a strong job market with demand far outpacing supply. When Robert Stacy looks back on the education that prepared him for his current job, he doesn't see a school. I delivered newspapers, then worked as a clown at birthday parties.