"Strider" by Beverly Cleary

One book that I recall enjoying when I was younger was "Strider." This book tells the story of a young boy who finds a stray dog and decides to keep him and name him 'Strider.' As the story evolves, Leigh (the main character) faces many problems that young boys and girls alike can relate to - such as divorce, crushes, and finding their niche in school.

Throughout the novel, Leigh begins to evolve as a young boy into an adolescent as he learns the importance of responsibility of taking care of Strider. I believe this book is fantastic for young boys from grades 4-6 as it teaches the importance of responsibility. As I stated before, this book touches on the divorce of Leigh's parents, and the different emotions he feels, and how he copes with them. With children going through similar problems, this book may be a phenomenal piece of literature - giving them hope that everything will turn out o.k. This story also brings up the idea of "crushes" in school, in which almost every child can relate to. Also, this story encourages the participation in extracurricular activities, considering Leigh becomes interested in joining the track team. Leigh's enjoyment of running may inspire other children reading the novel to begin pursing different activities they enjoy, while becoming more involved with school. Cleary's ability to create a piece of literature young children can truly relate to makes "Strider" a fantastic starter novel for young children.