The Pirate of Kindergarten

Apr 01, 2011 Jacob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Then came Vision Screening Day...Ginny said all she could say. She said what she saw: "T...t...O...o...Z...z."
The nurse's voice was gentle. "Do you see two?"
Ginny nodded.
"Do you see two of me?" he asked.
She nodded again.
"Do you know," the nurse asked, "that most people see only one?"
Ginny started to cry.

[Photo of the reviewer with a patch over his left eye]

Trust me, kid, I know what it's like.

One of my mom's friends gave this to me a few months ago, as a "Hooray you can see again!" present. Beca...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-lit-2013

1. Audience: This book is best suited for kindergarten through and second. It is short, colorful, and fun. The main character is a pirate which many young kids relate to no matter the gender.
2. Appeal: The main character is a pirate which will attract a lot of readers. A lot of kids pretend to be pirates at some point so this will really hit home with them. The book has humor and a life lesson.
3. Activity: I would read this book out loud to my class. After this I would talk about disabilities w...more 1. Audience: This book is best suited for kindergarten through and second. It is short, colorful, and fun. The main character is a pirate which many young kids relate to no matter the gender.
2. Appeal: The main character is a pirate which will attract a lot of readers. A lot of kids pretend to be pirates at some point so this will really hit home with them. The book has humor and a life lesson.
3. Activity: I would read this book out loud to my class. After this I would talk about disabilities with my class and how hurtful it is to make fun of someone. I would also discuss with them that sometimes things can be scary, and they might think something is “normal” but it is okay to talk to someone. I would have my students wear vision impairment glasses to see what it is like to be visually impaired. Then I would have each student write about something that they had to overcome.
4. Award list: Schneider Family Book Award 2011, Copyright 2010
School Library Journal
( June 01, 2010; 9781416950240 )
K-Gr 2-Ginny suffers from undiagnosed double vision, and seeing two of everything is causing her difficulties in school. On vision screening day, a nurse discovers the problem, and the prescribed eye patch gives Ginny a new identity-the pirate of kindergarten. Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of "two of everything" provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world. It is not until the end of the story that Ginny declares herself a pirate, but as a metaphor for confidence and competence, her patch effectively declares her to be captain of her own ship. Julia Chen Headley's The Patch (Charlesbridge, 2006) is another story about a pirate with vision issues.-Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

I think that this review is great. I agree with this review. This book is written very well, it is easy to follow, and has great pictures. I agree that the pictures in this story really bring the reader or listener into the world of double vision. I like that the writer says when Ginny declares herself as a pirate it is really a metaphor. That really made me think and I realized just how true that probably is!
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Mar 15, 2013 Jennifer Huff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit-2013

Audience: The audience for this book is primary elementary school. Because of the age of the kids in the book, I think that kids in second grade would best relate to this story.

Appeal: I think this book would appeal to second graders because most kids who will need glasses need them in early elementary so they can relate to the book, but it also would be a good way for them to understand that all people are different. Plus kids love eye patches.

Application: I might use this book as a learning to...more Audience: The audience for this book is primary elementary school. Because of the age of the kids in the book, I think that kids in second grade would best relate to this story.

Appeal: I think this book would appeal to second graders because most kids who will need glasses need them in early elementary so they can relate to the book, but it also would be a good way for them to understand that all people are different. Plus kids love eye patches.

Application: I might use this book as a learning tool to show kids that everyone has different difficulties in school by using eye patches while they read. I also might use it to have kids look into different types of disabilities and use it to research how another kid might learn. They can use this information to make their own mini story like this one.

Award: 2011 Schneider Family Book Award

Copyright:2010

Book Review: Kindergarten-Grade 2—Ginny suffers from undiagnosed double vision, and seeing two of everything is causing her difficulties in school. On vision screening day, a nurse discovers the problem, and the prescribed eye patch gives Ginny a new identity—the pirate of kindergarten. Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of "two of everything" provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world. It is not until the end of the story that Ginny declares herself a pirate, but as a metaphor for confidence and competence, her patch effectively declares her to be captain of her own ship. Julia Chen Headley's The Patch (Charlesbridge, 2006) is another story about a pirate with vision issues.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC

I agree that the book did a good job of portraying that having double vision didn't really affect Ginny much because she just felt like she was in her own world where everything was supposed to be how she saw it. I really loved that she accepted herself for who she was and went with it, but I'm glad they were able to help her so she could continue doing what she loved, reading.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Kay Ray rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-storybook

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Lyon introduces us to a girl in Kindergarten that has trouble in school because she cant see. This book is an awesome read and allows people who dont normally have vision problems to see what it is like.Ginny was the main character and she enjoyed reading, and had a great, bubbly, fun personality. This book has a "cute" ending and the protagonist overcomes a problem exactly how a kindergartner would.I personally feel a relation to this book because my niece h...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Jordan Brovelli added it

Shelves: picture-books, kentucky-picture-book

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon is a children's picture book about a Kindergartener named Ginny who is having trouble seeing. The story itself is well written and describes an event that some Kindergarteners might experience. Ginny not being able to see just one of everything can be scary and she is afraid to be made fun of when she bumps into the chairs at Reading Circle. I enjoyed the ending of the story because some children might be embarrassed to wear an eye patch but Lyon tu...more The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon is a children's picture book about a Kindergartener named Ginny who is having trouble seeing. The story itself is well written and describes an event that some Kindergarteners might experience. Ginny not being able to see just one of everything can be scary and she is afraid to be made fun of when she bumps into the chairs at Reading Circle. I enjoyed the ending of the story because some children might be embarrassed to wear an eye patch but Lyon turned a bad situation into something that would be appealing to a Kindergarten student. What 5 or 6 year old wouldn't want to be a pirate? I can relate to this story because I wear glasses and I can't see anything clear without them. As a child I'm sure I would be a little scared about why I couldn't see anything clearly. Not to mention that wearing glasses makes you stand out from other students and some students can be harsh with teasing about glasses. I could use this title with my future students to help the students with glasses and the students without glasses see that glasses are cool! Also, some students might be afraid to say they can't see straight because they are afraid the eye doctor might hurt. However, Lyon made it known that the eye doctor didn't hurt Ginny it just made her a little dizzy. This might encourage my future students who are having trouble seeing to speak up so they can get vision help sooner rather than later.
When just looking at the cover of the book you wouldn't really be able to know right away that the book was about a girl that needed glasses. Asking my students to foreshadow what the book might be about would be a good activity to do before reading the text. I really like the complimentary colors of the blue and the orange on the cover. They really make the words "Pirate" and "Kindergarten" pop. The illustrations are done very well, it was hard to focus my eyes on the chairs at Reading Circle but I think that was the illustrators purpose in drawing them that way. Even the boy that makes fun of Ginny for bumping into the chairs is drawn double. This really gets the message that GInny is seeing double across because now we as readers are also seeing double. The illustrations use a lot of primary colors which are very appealing to look at and draw your attention to those points on the page. I especially enjoyed how the illustrations at the end of the book became clear once Ginny got her eyes checked. This showed us that she can see just one now because we only see just one of each object, as well. I think this picture book was well written and well illustrated. I enjoyed reading it and looking at all the illustrations. I believe I could see myself using this title in my classroom if I taught Kindergarten. (less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Andrea Carter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ky-picture-book

I thought 'The Pirate of Kindergarten' picture book was well illustrated and gave a clear and meaningful message. When I first started reading the book I was a bit confused at why the main character, Ginny, was seeing things so strangely. Soon it was apparent to me that she struggled with vision problems. Although I do not have struggles with vision I can understand and relate to having a disability in elementary school that sets you apart from everyone else. I thought the way Ginny was depicted...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Emily Calzi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ky-picture-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Pirate of Kindergarten, by George Ella Lyon is about a young kindergarten girl, Ginny, with vision problems and how she later discovers the adventures she can take on with a simple solution to her problem. Ginny sees double of EVERYTHING, which causes her to have trouble reading, cutting, and basically everything else. She absolutely loves reading, especially at the reading circle, however “getting there was hard, though, with all those chairs. She knew only half of them were real, but which...more The Pirate of Kindergarten, by George Ella Lyon is about a young kindergarten girl, Ginny, with vision problems and how she later discovers the adventures she can take on with a simple solution to her problem. Ginny sees double of EVERYTHING, which causes her to have trouble reading, cutting, and basically everything else. She absolutely loves reading, especially at the reading circle, however “getting there was hard, though, with all those chairs. She knew only half of them were real, but which ones?” She is made fun of countless times by her classmates and her teacher does not realize Ginny’s squinting is the result of compensating for her double vision. Ginny thinks that everyone else sees this way. She discovers that not everyone is like this on vision-screening day at her school, which results in a dreaded trip to the eye doctor. After more tests and picking out glasses, she is directed to wear a patch to help her see only one of everything. Oh the possibilities and adventures she will encounter now as the “kindergarten Pirate.” She can now do everything she had trouble with before perfectly and more!

Lynne Avril does a great job illustrating Ginny’s double vision, enhancing the reader’s ability to understand her vision problem and transformation. She used bright and vibrant colors in the illustrations making them pop with only a few colors. The illustration of the page when Ginny sees “2s like swans, and 3s like Bs and big-bellied 6s” shows her imagination spiraling off and how these double numbers and letters turned into other creatures or shapes. The twos really to do look like swans and the other letters do “[hop] around like popcorn” off the page.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read it to my future class. The only negative aspect of this book that I found was how it ended so abruptly. I would have liked to see more of Ginny’s adventures and new accomplishments as the kindergarten pirate. This would be a great book for children in preschool through second grade. The plot also portrays a great theme of respecting your classmates and to not make fun of others who might struggle in certain areas, which is important to address at a young age.
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Jan 22, 2013 Leslie Bardo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ky-picture-author-book

This book, The Pirate of Kindergarten, is about a little girl's struggles in Kindergarten with her vision until one day she receives treatment for her problem. Overall, I believe that this book is a great read with a good understanding of life with a visual disorder. I loved the main character, Ginny, because she was not too easily frustrated (most of the time at least!). I also loved her interest in reading as well as her ability to turn around this potentially embarrassing situation (of wearin...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Sierra rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book had a very cute meaning!! You don’t actually start discovering that it is about a little girl who has eye problems until about 5 pages in. However, double vision is NOT a good kind of double. In fact, it can make kindergarten somewhat hard. Ginny sees double chairs at reading circle and double words in her books. She knows that only half of what she sees is real, but which half? Eventually her problem was brought to attention when the Vision Screening Day came at school. While trying t...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Amanda Rutledge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kentucky-author-picture-books

Group #1 read: The Pirate of Kindergarten, by George Ella Lyon, who is a novelist and poet from Kentucky. This book was written for the age group of children 4-8 years old and deals with a young kindergartener (Jenny) who has double vision. She has to deal with ridicule from her classmates because her eyesight is very bad, and has adjusted to closing one eye in order to read,use scissors, or avoid running into chairs.
This book touches on a subject that not many children's books do, but nonethele...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Kelli Mcdonald rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lis-510-401-ky-authors-post-group

This book by George Ella Lyon is a story of a little girl who has double vision. She is confused as to why she sees double of everything and is sad that she can not do everything like the other kids in her class. Finally, she is given a vision test and discovers that she needs glasses and an eye patch! She is so happy that she only sees one of everything like the other children in her class. The patch she is given to wear over one of her eyes makes her look like a pirate so she embraces this loo...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Christina Baldridge rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon is a great read aloud book. My recommendation of grades for this book would be mainly kindergarten because of it's title and on through 1st grade. I gave this book 5 stars because of the story line as a whole, and the illustrations were also very good. This book starts out with a young girl named Ginny who absolutely loved to read. The first few words read on the beginning pages were "Ginny loved Reading Circle...Getting there was hard, though, with...more The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon is a great read aloud book. My recommendation of grades for this book would be mainly kindergarten because of it's title and on through 1st grade. I gave this book 5 stars because of the story line as a whole, and the illustrations were also very good. This book starts out with a young girl named Ginny who absolutely loved to read. The first few words read on the beginning pages were "Ginny loved Reading Circle...Getting there was hard, though, with all those chairs." After reading that and seeing the wonderful illustrations, it was obvious that this little girl struggled with her vision. I don't think its uncommon at all for a student to have trouble with their vision, which is why I feel this book would be great to read aloud at any given point. Students struggle with many different things and sometimes they may be unaware that it is in fact a problem--however its not a problem that cannot be fixed. Like Ginny, she was unaware that she had vision problems; she thought that everyone saw the way she did. She loved to read, but her nose would have to be in the fold of the book, and she loved to cut out paper bunnies, but sometimes her bunnies would have three ears. Some of the kids would laugh, which is unfortunately expected, and Ginny would tighten her mind "the way you tie a knot in a rope..." and she would try to remember to read a sentence only once, even though she saw double. Eventually her problem was brought to attention when the Vision Screening Day came at school. While trying to read the chart, Ginny was doing well using only one eye, but then the nurse told her to read using both eyes and thats when she struggled. The illustrations in this book showed her struggle very well. It showed her reading double letters, and it was as if we as readers were looking through her eyes--seeing everything how she saw it. The nurse recommended her to go to the doctor for her eyes, and when she did, she got two patches. One to attach on her glasses and one with a band that went around her head. Ginny no longer had to squint, she could use scissors, do numbers, read as much as she wanted, and she could also join in, in the Reading Circle without falling over chairs. (less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Sydney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ky-author-picture-book

This book by George Ella Lyon follows the adventure of a young girl, Ginny, with vision problems through her struggles within the classroom to the discovery of her problem and to the solution. Ginny sees two of everything and struggles to read, cut, do math, and even walk without hitting things. Ginny doesn't realize she sees any different than the other kids, even though they make fun of her. When vision screening day came at school, Ginny's vision problem was discovered and she was able to go...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Anne Catesby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon is one of the first children's books I have read in quite a long time and I was pleasantly surprised after I finished reading it. This book was so informative and it really shined a nice light on the fact that children really are all different and that even when people are different we need to accept them for who they are. However, I cannot say that I was extremely fond of the teacher who was portrayed in this book. It seems as though she should hav...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kentucky-author-picture-book

I am embarrassed to admit that when I opened up this book I expected to find a typical story about a rambunctious little girl who disrupts her kindergarten classroom by running around, convinced she is a pirate. I quickly learned, however, the classic lesson of not to judge a book by its cover. This story is a beautifully illustrated and creatively written depiction of a young girl’s struggle with her vision. The illustrations are wonderful assets because they are purposefully blurred, as if the...more I am embarrassed to admit that when I opened up this book I expected to find a typical story about a rambunctious little girl who disrupts her kindergarten classroom by running around, convinced she is a pirate. I quickly learned, however, the classic lesson of not to judge a book by its cover. This story is a beautifully illustrated and creatively written depiction of a young girl’s struggle with her vision. The illustrations are wonderful assets because they are purposefully blurred, as if the reader is viewing and experiencing the world through Ginny’s eyes as she squints and strains to see clearly. This is a nice touch to the story, especially for children readers, because it allows them to understand more of what the main character is going through in the story. I think that Ginny can also be a very positive and relatable character for young readers because she wants to do so well in school but her trouble seeing in the classroom slows her down and frustrates her. I think that any student, not only those with vision problems, but those with reading or learning disabilities as well, will be able to relate to Ginny’s situation in this story and in doing so, better understand their own. I also think this story will give students the confidence to overcome obstacles in their own lives that may keep them from learning to the best of their ability. Furthermore, it will help young students to understand when a classmate may face a difficulty similar to Ginny’s, and encourage them to treat others with respect. Lastly, I think this story sends an important message about facing difficulties with positivity. Instead of being sad about her diagnosed visual impairment, Ginny chooses to make a game out of wearing her eye patch and take pride in the fact that she no longer struggles with classroom activities. Overall I thought The Pirate of Kindergarten was a wonderfully written and useful book that will be able to connect with young students and teach them valuable life lessons about overcoming obstacles, having a positive attitude, and enjoying learning. (less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Lindsay Caudill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kentucky-authors

I read this book for the Kentucky author picture book genre. This book would be a great read aloud for kindergarten and first grade classes. Ginny, a kindergartner LOVES to read. However, she struggles making it to the reading circle without knocking over chairs, reading without squinting, or reading with her eyes too close to the page. When it is time for the school wide vision tests, Ginny learns she has a vision problem. This is why she has to do all these odd things to read and see correctly...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Ann rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really, really wanted to love this book. My daughter has dealt with amblyopia, which is the most common vision disorder that requires patching. She was 4 years old at the time, and did have to wear her patch to preschool, and it was difficult for her. It is hard to get a child to comply with the (very necessary) eye patching, and there are very few books out there for kids who need to patch. We need more children's books that talk about vision issues that require eye patching. So I read this b...more I really, really wanted to love this book. My daughter has dealt with amblyopia, which is the most common vision disorder that requires patching. She was 4 years old at the time, and did have to wear her patch to preschool, and it was difficult for her. It is hard to get a child to comply with the (very necessary) eye patching, and there are very few books out there for kids who need to patch. We need more children's books that talk about vision issues that require eye patching. So I read this book with interest, hoping that it would be a book that I could recommend to other children who need to patch.

There are parts of this book that are so wonderful. The author does a good job of explaining the struggles a child with vision problems can encounter, especially in not realizing that others see differently from them. Ginny is very likable and I really felt for her. The vision screening scene was nice, too. I loved how gentle the nurse was, who finally realized that Ginny was seeing double, and kindly explained that most people don't see that way. The illustrations are lovely, as well.

Other reviewers have already touched on the fact that it seems like many of the adults in the story should have realized that Ginny was having vision issues. But as a parent of a child with vision issues, and someone who has talked to many other parents with children who have vision problems. It can be very hard to recognize those problems. A child who has never seen differently won't know to complain about their vision. Do I think that people need to be more aware of the signs of vision issues? Absolutely, but that part of the book struck me as quite accurate.

But my problems with the book that keep me from recommending it stem from it's inaccuracies in the vision problem portrayed. A child who sees double probably has eyes that are not aligned (strabismus), so that each eye is seeing a slightly different scene. In that case, the treatment is almost never patching, but rather addressing the underlying condition that causes the eyes to not be aligned. Patching is most often used when the brain has decided to ignore the input from one eye (amblyopia) - the stronger eye is patched to help encourage the brain to start registering the input from the ignored eye. When the brain is ignoring the input from one eye, the child will not see double, in fact, in many cases, they see pretty well, since their brain is using their stronger eye. In the book, Ginny's vision problems are immediately solved by wearing a patch, when in fact, for nearly every child who wears an eye patch for vision issues, patching will (at least in the beginning) make it so much harder to see, as they're covering up the eye that sees well. I think that most kids who do need to patch will not be able to relate to Ginny's experiences. I would hate for a child who learns they'll have to start patching soon to read the book and think that patching will make reading and playing better, only to find out that in reality it actually makes it harder for them (again, until the treatment begins to work and their vision returns, but that usually takes months of diligent patching). It's too bad, because Ginny is such a wonderful, sympathetic character, and she faces her difficulties with grace. I just wish her vision issue had been portrayed in a realistic and accurate manner.(less)

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Feb 18, 2012 L12_sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, realistic-fiction

This Schneider Family Book Award winner is the story of Ginny, a red-haired kindergardener who loves to read, but who sees everything in duplicate. Her poor vision affects her ability to walk around and read in class, which earns her laughs from her classmates and reprimands from her teacher. When Ginny finally has her vision screened, they dsicover her double vision problem and the optometrist reassures her that it can be fixed with glasses and an eye patch. From that moment on, Ginny the Kinde...more This Schneider Family Book Award winner is the story of Ginny, a red-haired kindergardener who loves to read, but who sees everything in duplicate. Her poor vision affects her ability to walk around and read in class, which earns her laughs from her classmates and reprimands from her teacher. When Ginny finally has her vision screened, they dsicover her double vision problem and the optometrist reassures her that it can be fixed with glasses and an eye patch. From that moment on, Ginny the Kindergarden Pirate is born. Thanks to her eye patch, Ginny is happily able to do all of the things that she was not able to do before, and is no longer laughed at or reprimanded.

The premise of this book is good, as it depicts a little girl's vision problems in a way that children can understand. Ginny's struggles and experiences at the optometrist are relatable and could be helpful to share with young children if they have never been to the optometrist before, or have to get glasses for the first time. When I was little, one of my neighborhood friends had to wear an eye patch, so it was quite easy to picture little Ginny.

What bothers me about this book is how her classmates laugh at her when she knocks things over, and her teacher seems oblivious to Ginny's vision problems, despite the fact that she displays many telltale signs: knocking things over, being unable to solve math problems on the board from her seat, and reading print an inch from the page with one eye closed. Ginny only gets her vision tested when the entire class goes down for the testing. Moreover, when the screener tells her that it is normal for people to see just one image at a time, she starts crying because she did not realize this to be true. This moment tugs at the reader's heartstrings because it makes it seem like no one--not even Ginny's family--has ever noticed her poor vision. In the last illustration of the book Ginny is sitting in her chair, reading happily while her classmates and teacher sit around her, smiling. This makes it seem like now that Ginny has been "fixed," everyone is happy. Intented or not, this perceived message is troubling. Although The Pirate of Kindergarten might help increase awareness of vision problems for young children and their families, it could do a better job of pointing out how this situation could be avoided.

This book is best suited for kindergarten or first grade students. The illustrations are bright and colorful and use watercolors effectively to give the double vision view of things that Ginny experiences in the beginning of the story. By seeing what Ginny sees, the reader is better able to empathize with her and her situation.(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 April Helms rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, disability, fiction, picture-books

Was a bit mixed with this book, although I think it's mostly positive. In this story, Ginny loves her class and loves story hour, but has trouble with several things, such as reading, cut and paste projects and even sitting in her chair. During a routine school eye exam, she is diagnosed with double vision (diplopia). She is taken to an ophthalmologist, who gives her glasses and an eye patch. She finds herself now able to read, play and work with ease alongside her classmates. The illustrations...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Ashley Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: group-1-books

I think this was a great book. Initially when we were assigned the book I thought it was something else but I was pleasantly pleased with the selection. I think that the book touched on things that are important in a kindergartners life. As a future teacher I know there will some students in my classroom who are not able to see and being so young, they may not know that something is wrong. I think this book addressed the issue in such a way that you could read it to the class or even to individu...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Rachel Hancock rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: group-1-books

"The Pirate of Kindergarten," written by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Lynne Avril, tells an adorable story about a little girl named Ginny. In the book, Ginny sees everything as double and struggles in school. The book begins by showing Ginny running into chairs and having a difficult time knowing which chairs are really there and which ones are not. Next, Ginny struggles to read and her teacher, Mrs. Cleo, tells her "we read with our eyes, not our noses" when she sees Ginny reading with...more "The Pirate of Kindergarten," written by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Lynne Avril, tells an adorable story about a little girl named Ginny. In the book, Ginny sees everything as double and struggles in school. The book begins by showing Ginny running into chairs and having a difficult time knowing which chairs are really there and which ones are not. Next, Ginny struggles to read and her teacher, Mrs. Cleo, tells her "we read with our eyes, not our noses" when she sees Ginny reading with her nose pressed into the fold of a book. Lyon's vividly describes how Ginny sees the world and uses illustrative adjectives and phrases such as "numbers hopped around like popcorn." Eventually, Ginny sees an eye doctor and learns that she has double vision. Her doctor tells her that she needs to wear an eye patch to help fix the problem and all of a sudden, Ginny is able to see just one of everything without having to squint! With her eye patch, Ginny becomes a "Kindergarten Pirate" and is able to do everything just like her classmates. She excels in school and is finally able to cut, count, and read with ease.

I really enjoyed reading this book and thought that the writing was cute and creative. It was easy to understand and I feel as though young children would connect with it and empathize with Ginny's character. Additionally, it helps them learn about vision problems and allows them to be more sensitive to this matter. Moreover, the book's illustrations greatly help readers relate to Ginny and through Avril's pictures, we are able to see the world through Ginny's eyes. I loved the way the illustrator drew things in two's and thought the pictures made the story come alive. I also really liked that the book's words were written in slanted sentences when Ginny had double vision and how they changed to straight rows once she put her patch on. Furthermore, the illustrations were drawn in bright and playful colors and helped present the story in a very enjoyable and child-friendly manner.

I can't think of anything that would have made this book better and would definitely consider buying it for my future class. It is evident why it was chosen to win the Schneider Family Book Award because it tells an interesting and creative story, as well as, contains entertaining and colorful pictures that help breathe life into the words of the book. It is easy to relate to Ginny and readers can't help but empathize with her and want her to be happy and successful. As readers, we naturally feel sorry for Ginny when she sees double and are excited for her when her vision is restored and she's able to see only one of everything. George Ella Lyon and Lynne Avril make a wonderful team and their book, "The Pirate of Kindergarten," is both enjoyable and engaging to read. I would highly recommend this book for young children and look forward to sharing it with my students one day!(less)

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Sep 19, 2011 Karla rated it 5 of 5 stars

My favorite part of this books is the illustrations. I love how Lynne Avril made all of the images (up until the end) to look blurry to allow the reader to sympathize with Ginny, and the double page spread layout of the book makes it perfect for a read aloud. The book is clearly intended for Ks and 1s given its short, clear sentences and simple, straightforward language.

I think this book would be a great one to read to a young elementary class. It encourages students to see the world from someo...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Jordan Caton rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Pirate of Kindergarden was an excellent book showing a real issue that might arise in any classroom or school. Ginny has a hard time seeing things the way others do, literally. Seeing double is not her only problem though. On vision screening day she finds out from the doctor that "most people only see one." As the book continues it shows many issues she has to deal with and how she overcomes them. This book shows hope for children who may be different, but it doesn't beat kids over the head...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

George Ella Lyon's The Pirate of Kindergarten is about a young girl, named Ginny. Ginny is confused about her double-vision and blurry sentences and even finds herself creating an accidental 3-eared bunny from a cut out at school. When it is time to get her vision checked Ginny finds out that her eyes' "tricks" requires her to wear an eye patch. Ginny's confidence and imagination allow her to call herself the "pirate of kindergarten." Although Lyon's attempt at easing children's mind about glass...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-picture-books

Here is the story of a Kindergartener who loves to read, to draw and cut-out shapes... only, she always sees TWO of them! Thing is, she doesn't realize that most people only see one until a nerve-wracking day when the class gets their vision test. When she realizes she has vision troubles, the little girl can get the help she needs to cure her double-vision--right down to wearing an eye-patch for a week! The illustrations do a good job of helping us "see" as the girl does.

I have to admit that I...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: PreK - 2

Recommended to Nicole by: ALA Youth Media Awards 2011

Shelves: 571, picture-books

Kindergarten student Ginny loves school but has trouble because she sees two of everything. She knocks over chairs walking to reading circle and cuts three ears on her bunny. She has figured out how to squint or concentrate really hard and get her work done. On vision screening day, the nurse tells her that she should only see one of everything and refers her to a doctor. At the doctor's office, Ginny has her screening and learns that she can wear glasses to correct her problem, but she will nee...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Gail Cooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dedicated to everyone who sees the world differently George Ella Lyon has penned an amusing and meaningful story about Ginny, a small girl who entered kindergarten and was puzzled by the way she saw things. For instance Ginny's favorite activity was Reading Circle but she had difficulty joining the group because she saw so many chairs and knew that some of them were not real. So, obviously, she bumped into some of them, which made the other kids laugh.

Ginny's eyes played tricks on her, and she t...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Emily Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ky-picture-books

With an original story line, and incredible illustrations, this book has become one of my new favorites for children. The author, George Ella Lyon did a great job developing a really warm hearted beautiful red-head who struggles through life because she sees two of everything. Thinking everyone else saw that way as well, she never brought it to anyone's attention, but on the afternoon of "Vision Screening" day, she learns that her vision is not normal.

When I saw the classroom chairs masterfully...more With an original story line, and incredible illustrations, this book has become one of my new favorites for children. The author, George Ella Lyon did a great job developing a really warm hearted beautiful red-head who struggles through life because she sees two of everything. Thinking everyone else saw that way as well, she never brought it to anyone's attention, but on the afternoon of "Vision Screening" day, she learns that her vision is not normal.

When I saw the classroom chairs masterfully illustrated on page two, they made me feel dizzy. Unfamiliar with Lynne Avril, I assumed it just her style of illustrating. Several pages later, when the reader finds out that the overlapping images are what Ginny, the protagonist, actually sees, I became so impressed at how well Avril was able to convey that to the audience. Even the text in the story, as well as the dust jacket, was occasionally printed diagonally on the page to drill home the idea of the distorted images Ginny had trouble sorting through.

(view spoiler)

I would use her fellow classmates in the text as an example of how NOT to treat someone whose struggling with something. Ginny was teased by her classmates for tripping over chairs and cutting out 3 bunny ears. This is a great resource for my children to see how inappropriate this behavior is and how much better it would be to offer to help people who are struggling. Fostering good citizenship is ALWAYS a good thing.

In conclusion, I loved this book, and would definitely use it in my classroom in the right context.(less)

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Feb 26, 2011 Leane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: other-diversities, picture-books

A very cute story about a kindergartener named Ginny who has double vision. The illustrations in this story are great because they show what Ginny is really seeing, which is everything another student would see except doubled. Ginny knows that something is different and finds things in the classroom setting to be hard, especially finding her way to the reading circle and reading books. Luckily, the vision screening test at school brings to light Ginny's problem and she is able to go to the docto...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Ashley Barna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-story-books, ky-author-picture-book

The Pirate of Kindergarten written by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Lynne Avril captures the life of a young girl who has trouble seeing in class. Ginny, a kindergarten student, sees double of just about everything. When she reads it looks as though she is doing it with her nose. Her teacher, Ms. Cleo tells her, “We read with our eyes, not our noses.” Ginny trips over chairs, cuts out bunnies with three ears, and even sees numbers and letters in double.

Ginny thinks everyone sees in twos,...more

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