King of the Castle

August 1, 2001
Gr 3-4-Kindly Mr. Elliot loves his job as a custodian in the local grammar school, but he harbors a shameful secret. He can't read, and it saddens him every time his grandchildren ask him to read to them. Finally, he is inspired by his grandson Jason's determined efforts at reading and later that evening he bravely reveals his secret to his daughter, who helps him enroll in literacy classes. Despite struggles and setbacks, Mr. Elliot makes progress and there's a happy ending as he is promoted to head custodian. At the end-of-the-year ceremonies, he reads a moving story he wrote about learning to read. This gentle tale is illustrated with sensitive black-and-white drawings. Pair it with Diane Stanley's humorous Raising Sweetness (Putnam, 1998) for a different treatment of adult illiteracy.-Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.