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Shadrach by Meindert Dejong

Shadrach

By Meindert DeJong
Level 5
Review:

This Newbery Honor book, written in 1953, is a humorous, warm story about a young boy from the Netherlands whose dearest wish is to be granted—he will have a rabbit, black if possible. Lessons are learned and an adventure ensues when the beloved rabbit gets lost. DeJong’s deliberately thoughtful and descriptive writing about a time before television and video games is endearing and interesting, offering a needed counterbalance to the fast action, edge-of-your-seat books many kids are used to. Readers will also learn about the culture of the Netherlands during that time period.

(Reviewed by Jenny Phillips)

Region Europe, Netherlands
Genre Historical Fiction
  • 3.5 Entertainment Value
  • 4 Moral Value
  • 3.5 Educational Value
  • 4 Literary Value
Rating System

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Entertainment Value

All books on our list are chosen to be engaging, but books that rank high in entertainment value may be more appealing to reluctant readers and/or those who are new to good and beautiful books.

Moral Value

All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are deemed appropriate and wholesome, but some books have more emphasis on moral principles than others. A lower rating for moral value does not mean the book is inappropriate; it only means that moral values are not as highly emphasized.

Educational Value

Although all books on this list have educational value in the sense of increasing vocabulary and other important skills, the educational value scale is based on how well the book helps the reader gain knowledge about historical time periods, cultures, geography, science, etc.

Literary Value

Books that score high in literary value include exceptional writing, use of literary devices, and a rich vocabulary. All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are well-written, but some have a higher literary value than others.

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