Book Love by Lorilyn Roberts is a delightful story for children about the challenges facing Nerlande, as she learns to read in first grade. She struggles with sounding out the words. As a result, she hates reading, she hates books, and she hates school. She retreats to a wonderful imaginary world of baby elephants, talking giraffes, and singing kittens in another galaxy far, far away from books. Nerlande is dismayed when her teacher recommends that she repeat first grade. Although she makes new friends and finishes first grade with high marks, she still hates reading. A real breakthrough took place in third grade when she stayed home sick one day. As she wondered how she would keep busy all day she picked up her reading book and flipped through the pages. She stopped to look at a picture of a cute puppy. She was drawn into the story. Before she realized it, she had read the entire book without any help. Nerlande learned she loved reading. She had been imagining her own stories. Now she could read them in books. She could learn new things, like the puppy in the story who grew up to be a “seeing-eye dog” for a blind person.

Lorilyn Roberts uses an attractive font and layout in Book Love with appealing pictures to engage her young readers. Parents will love the many discussion points Nerlande’s story presents, like her dismay at having to repeat first grade and her fears of joining a new class. Nerlande expresses her emotions in a relatable way. The author skillfully builds on Nerlande’s excitement about independently reading her first book. She shows how learning to read opens Nerlande’s imagination to untold possibilities. She realizes she will never be bored or lonely now that she can read. Discussions with her mother expand her vision to consider children elsewhere who may not have books. She begins to muse about becoming an author or a doctor. Parents will find this charming story useful to help their children grasp the values of learning to read. Reading Book Love together at bedtime is sure to start many significant conversations.

Nerlande sat in a circle with her classmates because it was time for Circle Reading. She hated reading out loud because she had trouble reading the words, and of course, the other boys and girls made fun of her because she cannot read like them. She is so embarrassed, she even has to repeat first grade because she can't read. She hates reading, hates books, wishes books were far, far away so she doesn't have to read. Until one day when Nerlande is at home, sick, she picks up a book about a dog and starts reading, all by herself. This changes her attitude about reading. She now loves books, they are her friend. Now she even wants to help other children find books to read.

Book Love by Lorilyn Roberts is a book every child learning to read should have, especially those having trouble reading. The few characters in Book Love are all it takes to tell this wonderful story so well. I find it adorable when this sweet little girl says that she can read what she wants without having to plug something into the wall. This is the beauty of books. I appreciate author Lorilyn Roberts writing such a book as this to teach and encourage children to read. Linda DiFranco does an excellent job with the illustrations in Book Love. I love the way the beautiful black and white pictures give the book a warm cozy feeling. The pictures bring the story to life in a unique way. Book Love is beautiful inside and out. Roberts uses a child to teach children the love of books and it works beautifully. This book is a must for elementary classrooms and libraries. I highly recommend Book Love by Lorilyn Roberts if you have a child wanting to learn to read.

Book Love is a heartwarming work of children’s fiction penned by Lorilyn Roberts. In this charming story for younger readers (grades K-3), we meet a little girl who is presented with the daunting task of repeating an entire grade because of her struggles with reading. As her friends move on and she becomes ever more resentful of repeating the first grade, one unusual day leads her into a book that finally captures her attention. So begins a magical journey to adore the world of books, exploring the adventures and escape they can offer whenever a child feels lonely or stifled.

Author Lorilyn Roberts hits on a powerful nostalgic topic in Book Love that children and their parents, guardians, and teachers can surely all share in. One of the features of the read which most impressed me was the emotional arc of the central character, whose aversion to reading is never treated lightly, is genuinely grounded, and is slowly shifted alongside the plot to create a convincing change of heart. The surrounding cast in the story modeled some very supportive behavior which will be helpful to real-life reluctant readers who might encounter this book. I also felt that Roberts’s wording, structure, and lexical choices in Book Love made it a highly accessible read for those who struggle. This meta-level of interaction is the cherry on top of a fantastic, immersive, and heartfelt read. Overall, I would highly recommend Book Love for young readers who need encouragement and for little book lovers who want to feel a stronger sense of belonging in the literary world.

Book Love by Lorilyn Roberts with black-and-white illustrations by Linda DiFranco is the story of a second-grader who struggles to read and hates books. Her teacher recommends that she repeat first grade, and her mother agrees. Although embarrassed to leave her second-grade classmates, the girl does learn to read and completes both first and second grade. However, she hates books and reading. After entering third grade, she happens to flip through her reading book one day while homesick and is drawn to the story of a puppy that grows up to become a seeing-eye dog. It enchants her. She’s happy that she learned to read, becomes a book lover, and wants to help other children become book lovers, too.

In Book Love, Lorilyn Roberts addresses having a child repeat the first grade to ensure a good grasp of reading. The story is told in the first person with sensitivity to the feelings of the child. Teachers and parents are caring and well-intended. The little girl is drawn as a very sympathetic character, one we want to see succeed. I enjoyed developing a genuine love of books and reading as this serves us well at any age. The story moves at a good pace, is enhanced by the illustrations, and is told through chapters appropriate in length for the complexity of the concept. While this is an excellent book for a child who faces a similar struggle, it can help all children learn to be kinder to those who struggle with reading.