Kitty Griffin

Cowboy Sam and those Confounded Secrets is a fictional story with repetitive sentences of a hometown hero who helps out this small town by keeping their secrets in this hat. Cowboy Sam goes into town everyday ready to listen and "Keep it under his hat", but one day this hat explodes and can not hold anymore secrets. The towns people try and help Sam out by giving him things to keep the hat on and keep their secrets, but nothing seems to work. At the end of the story Cowboy Sam and the towns people learn that Sam does not need a ha to keep all the secrets, but Sam has a big enough heart to keep them instead.
In my opinion, is story is expressing a real life small town feel through a children's story. The message behind this children's story is simple, secrets can be dangerous, you can not trust everyone and sometimes their can be too many secrets. It's not good to tell others secrets, but rather keep them in your heart.
The illustrations in this book go right along with the storyline. The dulled colors of the Texas prairie add just the right effect the author was going for.
This children's book would be a good book to read or discus with your students, but not one at the top of my list. It's a great book with a good lesson but their are many books with this such theme.… (mere)

Summary: A girl Betsy wants to save her family when she finds out the redcoats are coming. She lets her father know but he tells her there is no one who is able to get to the General fast enough because he lives deep through the woods. So she gets on her horse and rides nonstop through the night into the morning until she got to the General. She shows great courage and finally after a long night, gets there in time and saves her town.

Personal Reaction: This was a nice book to read because it shows the girls courage and proves that children are always looking out for those around them whom they love. Though this story is not modern day, children will do a lot for their families, and this story reminds us of that.

Classroom Extension:
1. When talking about the wars of the past, this book could be used and the children could write about a time they felt they helped their family.
2. The children could draw a picture of what they think the town would've looked like if the girl had not gotten there in time.
3. The children could have discussion time about the book and explain if they think she did the right thing, and what they would have done.… (mere)