Media:
Oil paint
Critique:
It is a good realistic book for children because it tells that the best present for family is love rather than materials. Also, the spirits of the Grandma also teaches people to face life with optimism. It conveys a good attitude to family and people's own life.
Age appropriate:
Primary and middle school students ( )

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: Sara's Russian grandmother's birthday is coming up and she claims she does not want any presents, so Sara has to figure out the best "no present" ever. She knows her grandmother, Catherine, has never learned to write or read in English, even though she migrated to the U.S. years ago, and so Sara decides the best gift she can giver her grandmother is to teach her to read and write in English.

Review: This is an excellent realistic fiction book because it touches on the point of migration to the U.S. and some of the challenges with that. It could be very relatable to some of our ELL's. It is also poses a good thought about gifts and presents in general, and how sometimes the best gift of all is not monetary. Although the book's characters are not true, they are based off of real people, making it even more realistic.

This book is about Sara who is surprised when her Russian grandma(Catherine the Great) announces that she doesn't want any presents for her birthday. She discovers that a good "no present" can anything as long as it comes from deep inside you. Her present to her grandma is teacher her to read and write in English.
Uses: This book would be good to read to your class especially if you were learning about other cultures, or if you had a Russian student in your class. ( )

This book tells the story of a Russian woman who came to the United States from Russia. It shows her later in life with a family and specifically a granddaughter. The grandmother doesn't want any presents for her birthday, so her granddaughter gives her a non present for her birthday, to teach her grandmother English. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. It displayed the themes of immigration and family, and how sometimes giving of oneself is the best kind of gift to give. It would be relatable to readers who are also immigrants to America, specifically Russian. The family in the book was Russian and the writing and pictures included some Russian words. However, this book would be relatable to anyone with a close-knit family with family traditions. This book displays a family coming together to celebrate their grandmother’s birthday, but by honoring her without presents. At first the main character, who is young, did not understand how someone could enjoy a birthday without presents. She quickly realizes that instead of giving her grandmother a materialistic good, she wants to help her learn how to read and write English. This shows readers that giving of your time and efforts means more than simply buying a gift and giving it to someone. Also, it shows how family and time with one another is more valuable than items. The illustrations are incredible, depicting scenes of the entire family gathering and preparing for Grandma Catherine’s big birthday. The purpose of this story was to highlight Russian-American culture and spread the message that family is more important than materialistic wealth. ( )