This is a good example of realistic fiction. It is about something that could (and does) happen in real life. The characters and plotline are believable and realistic, as well as easy to follow/understand. It is relatable for students who have probably experienced some of the same things in their own lives. ( )

This was a great book that showed the concept of probability. Students loved hearing the story. They also related to the story very well. They all wanted to tell me about days that they had that were similar to that of the main character's in the book. The illustrations in the book were very fun and colorful. Definitely a good read aloud.

Probably Pistachio is great to use when teaching any age about probability or likelyhood. Jack starts out his day on a bad note and things just seem to continue to go wrong. His dad fixes is lunch that day so he figures he will probably have something he doesn't like like tuna. He then spends the rest of the day hoping to switch lunches with a girl that normally has the kind of sandwich he wants. Come to find out at lunch time after trading his lunch with her that her dad made her lunch too giving him a gross liver sandwich. This book can be used to introduce the concepts of probability (more likely, likely, less likely, absolute, etc.) to young children. It can also be used with older children to teach the actual probability of events.

MathStart Probability: Probability Pistachio
by Stuart J. Murphy Illustrated by Marsha Winborn
Review by Katelyn Carter
Probability: predicting the likelihood of any given event. Will anything go right for Jack? Jack is a boy who goes through his bad at home and school and has many experiences dealing with probability. First his school lunch is not what it normally is because his dad packed his lunch instead of his mom. Then when he’s at soccer practice the coach counts of not in 1-2 fashion. The book I think would be very relatable for elementary students in first grade. MathSmart recommends the reading level for the books and this particular one was a level 2 meaning for children ages 6 and up. It could be used in conjunction with a lesson on prediction and probability. Topics include certain, more likely, less likely, and impossible. The pictures are really colorful and help children to understand probability visually.
My favorite portion of this book is the last two pages which has additional lessons that adults and kids can do to further their understanding of probability. Some of the ideas entailed watching the weather forecasts on the news and then observe the actual weather to see if the news predictions were accurate.

"Probably Pistachio" is about a little boy who loves pastrami, popcorn, and pistachio ice-cream. He was having a horrible dad because his dad fixed his lunch and it wasn't pistachio. Then, he didn't get put on his best friends practice soccer team. Finally, he got home and was hoping for pizza, but instead it was spaghetti. His mom came in with ice-cream for dessert and she had bought his favorite, pistachio. This book is a good book for small group reading in a 3rd grade classroom.