The Case of the Incapacitated Capitals

Mr. Wright's Class

by Robin Pulver, Lynn Rowe Reed (Illustrator)

The capital letters in Mr. Wright's classroom require immediate medical attention! They are suffering from severe neglect, in the latest paperback addition to the Robin Pulver and Lynn Rowe Reed language arts library.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Writing, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The capital letters are suffering...from neglect! Great story about using capital letters, especially in letter writing. A note following the story explains how letters became to be known as uppercase and lowercase. There is also a sample letter with arrows illustrating what types of words need to be capitalized. A bulleted list rounds out the supplemental material and provides some rules about capitalization.

I will definitely be recommending this title, but I didn't give it a higher rating because the formatting and illustrations drive me crazy!!! I'm not a fan of Reed's artwork and the way everything was laid out on the page is so busy to look at it's easy to be distracted away from the great information.

Overall, good content on an important subject, but it might've benefitted from a simpler layout.

[Lilith Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

It looks like Mr. Wright is having difficulty in his classroom. The difficulty is with the capital letters. This book comes to show the kids the importance of using them and when to use them.

I felt the actual storyline of this book was okay. Due to the fact the kids really need to look closely at the letters to see what the author is talking about, I would say this is best read with individual children or small groups. The kids need to see the words with you in order to appreciate the story.

I will say I the illustrations got to me. These were in no way what I was expecting. The actual illustrations were creepy. It is a pity because I felt this book had a lot to offer, but since the illustrations distracted more than it added, it took away from the reading experience.

For me, this was a two-part book. On the one hand, the storyline was fun and engaging. We got to see how the letters interact and the kids could have fun pointing out the mistakes. On the same note, the illustrations were just not pleasant. I will say you be the judge. Five stars for the book and one star for the illustrations.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and were in no way influenced by outside sources. I am a professional blogger at Little Lady Plays

[Samarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informational
1st-2nd

I love, love, love this book. After spending time with a first grade classroom it is clear to say that sometimes kids do forget capital letters. This book could be used to remind or even teach students about capital letter and how to use them. I loved the illustrations of this book and how they are bright and entertaining. Students will enjoy reading this one. All in all I can see myself use this book in my first or second grade classroom.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selected this read because my MHS students seem to have forgotten basic grammar rules, such as capitalization. This could be a great introduction to elementary or ESL students, or my intended purpose as a review. Great additional materials at the end include, a brief overview of the history of the how upper and lower case got their names, as well as an excellent overview of rules. Very useful for any age.

[Rebekah Waggoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informational
1st-2nd

I love, love, love this book. After spending time with a first grade classroom it is clear to say that sometimes kids do forget capital letters. This book could be used to remind or even teach students about capital letter and how to use them. I loved the illustrations of this book and how they are bright and entertaining. Students will enjoy reading this one. All in all I can see myself use this book in my first or second grade classroom.

[Valerie Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book the capital letters are misused. It does show children where the correct punctuation should be placed. In my opinion, it was not as engaging as Pulver's other book, "Punctuation Takes a Vacation".

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book isn’t a good choice to read for fun. It’s more informative and for older children. The illustrations aren’t cute. It’s pretty long. It would be a good book for older children if they wanted a book about capitals in great detail.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As young readers are transitioning to writers, this is a great book to add to a stack of read-alouds to further the recognition of what types of words should begin with a capital letter.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book about grammar in the Mr. Wright's Class series that we've read by this author/illustrator team. The stories are interesting and informative, but the illustrations put me off. They aren't as slick or professional-looking as the books by Brian P. Cleary and Brian Gable and Jenya Prosmitsky. And the narrative is a scattered dialogue, with words all over the page that can be a bit difficult to read aloud.

Overall, the books are entertaining and informative, but probably best for children to read on their own. I think it is an effective way to teach about capitalization, but it's still a bit cumbersome to read aloud.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: 3 stars
Art: 2 stars

Picture book with a story that discusses the rules of capitalization. It's not clear to me how the children in the class go from using no capitalization at all to following all the rules of capitalization correctly. Excellent supplemental materials in the back of the book: an explanation of why capital letters are called "uppercase," a sample letter highlighting what should be capitalized, and general rules of capitalization.

The collage-style illustrations are too busy and detract from the book's purpose. The asides in the speech bubbles are fun but add to the chaotic feel of the book.

[Kay Mcgriff · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there's a way to make grammar fun, this book might lead the way. Because the students in Mr. Wright's class have been forgetting to use capital letters correctly, the capital letters are growing sickly. Will the emergency medical team arrive in time to make things right again? This humorous story would be a good introduciton to (or reminder of) the importance of capital letters (and a history of how they got their other name--upper case letters).

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you know the rules for capitalization? In this cheerful book about capital letters, the letters themselves review rules for capitalization and correct a letter.

I never know exactly what to think about books like this. It's a charming attempt to make a fairly boring subject a least a little bit fun. Young readers will probably enjoy the colorful graphics.

[Amanda Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is useful for what it is stated to do--teach children how to use capitals letters correctly. I agree with some other reviews that the words and the pictures of this book are a little scattered. I'm sure children will like the format, but it wasn't my favorite. However, I would order it for our school library as it would be helpful for instruction.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colorful illustrations, combined with a decent story and all the capitals in bold and different colors work well to introduce younger readers to the importance and proper usage of capital letters. It's the kind of book that lends itself to repeat reading in order to help kids understand and then master the concept in a fun way.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Pulver does a great job of expressing the importance of capitals and the rules of capitalization. This would be a great book to share on an interactive white board so students could correct mistakes in the letter provided in the story.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Pulver and Lynn Rowe Reed add to a growing collections of fun stories based on writing mechanics and grammar. This one focuses on the need for capitals and rules to govern their use. Cleverly done (again) and great for mini-lessons.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected to like this more. Pulver and Reed have teemed up for several in their "language arts" series which I have shared before. Maybe I need to look at all of them a little more closely. Good for capitalization reminders.

[Jodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really torn about giving it the number of stars I did. I liked the story and think it would be well used in classrooms talking about capital letters and letter writing. However, I don't care for the illustrations. So, that is the reason for the lower score.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for teaching about capitalization.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A necessary and entertaining book regarding the importance of CAPITAL LETTERS. Something the texting generation needs to remember! :)

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

funny book about capitalization. It's a bit long though. Covers many of the rules.

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The students in Mr. Wright's class write a letter to the principal, and learn the proper rules of capitalization in the process.

[Amber Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

A funny story about capital letters. It would be a perfect review for 2nd or 3rd graders.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great tool for learning capital letters!

[Bookjeannnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

WAY too long & confusing for what it is intended for.

[Miranda Whittaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this books would be a fun way to introduce the concept of capitals and punctuation in a lesson to young children.