Friday, October 17, 2008

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco


Eli’s Aunt Chip is the only person in Triple Creek that does not own a television set. Triple Creek is a town that loves TV’s. Everyone watches TV all day long, while they are eating, playing, and even while they are sleeping. One day Aunt Chip discovers that Eli cannot read, surely a consequence from the towns’ obsession with TV’s. Although no one in Triple Creek can read, they sure do know how to use books. Citizens of Triple Creek know use books to hold up roofs, fill potholes, mend fences, and shore up the dam. The citizens of Triple Creek use books for any other reason but to read them. Aunt Chip teaches Eli to read and suddenly all the children realize what they have been missing this whole time they have been obsessed with TV’s. Books start disappearing from around town, from the potholes to porches, and even the dam started missing books. Once the dam lost its support from the books it spouted a leak, which led to a bigger leak, and eventually it flooded out the town. The flood washed through the city of Triple Creek and was strong enough to tear down the tower that gave power to all the TV’s. Without their TV’s everyone starts to realize how the absence of reading and books led to their town becoming run down. After it started “raining books” all the children of the town started teaching their parents to read, and the town became glorious and prosperous again. This book is a creative way to show children the consequences of not reading. Although it is exaggerated I think children would enjoy the illustrations and answering, “What if everyone stopped reading?” Great book!

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