Ben's Trumpet

Title: Ben's Trumpet

Author: Rachel Isadora

Publisher: Greenwillow Books- New York

www.harpercollins.com

Publication Date: 1979

Genre: Multicultural

Audience: All

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book

Overview: This is a story of a young boy growing up in the 1920's who aspires to be a jazz musician. Ben walks around his town playing only imaginary instruments and occasionally gets made fun of for. One day he was walking outside of a night club and a musician spots him and immediately recognizes his ambition. He offers to help Ben and teach him how to play the trumpet. This is a heart warming story that shows that ones dedication can and will pay off if you believe.

Activity: This book could be used as a writing prompt where the students write about something that they are ambitious about. It could also be used as a supplement of a history lesson, one that talks about the way of life in the 1920's. Another idea could be to use it as a read aloud before a music class to get the students excited about learning new instruments.

Reviewer's Name: Kalli Parrish