Reader Response: As an older elementary and young middle school student, I remember being intrigued by everyday things that seemed simple but possessed complicated aspects. One such fascination is the United States currency, especially the bills. The Latin writing that I could not understand, the hidden artistry within every picture and symbol, and the ever changing value of what these bills and coins could afford you is a mystery that we crumple up or toss into a cup-holder almost every day without thinking much about it. This book explores these aspects of currency in a fun and understandable way through thought provoking questions, colorful and varying illustrations and diagrams, and reference materials that are easily located and approachable.
Evaluator Response: The author, Christopher Forest, tackles an often dry subject and uses mystery and suspense language to introduce young readers (Grades 3-5) to the story of the United Stated Dollar Bill. The book succeeds in leading the reader to knowledge through discovery and clues with phrases like "It's not a book, but it does tell a story. It's full of secret codes, puzzling pictures, and hidden meaning." Although the writing is appropriately conversational and leading for this informational topic, the presentation of the text is stale and typical of a reference article. It appears to be a standard "adult" font in typical paragraph form, and the multitude of colorful graphics and photos takes one's eye immediately away from the text body. The chapters are short, and the book is arranged to invite readers to skim through the pages to find sections or topics that peak their interest.
Teacher Response: This book is a cross-curricular dream! The founding and institution of the Department of Treasury and other government institutions, the evolution of the dollar through significant American events and conflicts, and the historical significance of the Latin phrases and global symbols tie directly into our Social Studies standards for American history. The concept of money and its fluctuating value can be used as a stimulating literary starter for the Math unit on currency, and the multitude of text features and hooks for text bodies serve as exemplars in English/Language Arts. Additionally, the portraits and artwork of the dollar bill are explained and displayed in a manner that an Art teacher could use the book for a lesson on incorporating art for practical purposes.
Literary Coach Response: Students interested in this topic can easily explore this book independently, and it is chunked into small chapters with enough text features to engage a guided reading group. The domain specific vocabulary is challenging but is buttressed with a significant amount of context clue opportunities, pictures with captions, and an inviting glossary and translation guide in the resources section at the back of the book. The author makes a concerted effort to display why each lesson matters to the daily life of the reader but also fills each page with historical and artistic factoids and illustrations to enrich curious readers. This book will challenge middle elementary students on a middle school reading level but could also be used as a helpful text younger middle school students that need an upper elementary level text for this subject. In reality, the topics covered and the vocabulary used would prove helpful to even adult readers, which is often a sign of a high quality informational text designed for children.
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