Text Book Reviews

Contemporary’s Whole Language Series, Expressions: Stories and Poems Volume 2
“Trip in a Summer Dress” by Annette Sanford, page 33-43
“Trip in a Summer Dress,” is a story about a young girl going off to get married. She is leaving her parents and little brother, Matthew behind. She is headed to Arkansas to marry Bill Richards. As she is boarding the bus her mother tells her it is to cold to wear a summer dress. This trip is about her leaving behind something very important to her, and her starting a new life with out it. On the trip she tries to decide what she is going to do with her life. Whether to go on with this marriage or to go back to what her heart is longing for. This story takes an unsuspected turn and it surprised me when the girl reveals her secret. Her mother makes her keep what happen to her keep a secret and she can’t tell anyone. The girl wants so badly to tell someone what is aching in her heart, but every time she hints to her mother what she wants, her mother quickly sets her straight.
At the end of the story it has several thing to do. For example, it has a reflection part, asking a few questions about the story. One question was “What does the young woman plan to do when she goes into the telephone booth in Huntsville?” It also has a writing assignment to, asking you to right your opinion on who was right-the young woman or her mother? This book offers several other stories like mysteries, love, comedy, and some poetry.

Submitted by Mary