New Old Shoes
Grade 1–2—This story is narrated by a pair of red sneakers and follows their journey from their first home with a young boy in America to children in Africa. They start out jumping over puddles and pedaling his bicycle. When the sneakers begin to look worn, the family sends them to Africa, and a boy receives the shoes with as much excitement as the original owner. After adventures with him, they end up with a girl who wears them to walk to school, and who ultimately uses them as the hands for her scarecrow. An endnote by Wayne Elsey, the founder of Soles4Souls, includes the Web site to go to for information about making donations to the organization. This book will make children think about how they can help other youngsters around the world through something as simple as donating a pair of old shoes. The color-saturated illustrations provide a vibrant background to this touching story.—Kate Neff, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FLCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.