Those Shoes

Those Shoes | Realistic Fiction | Maribeth Boelts | Charlotte Zolotow Award; CCBC | ages 5-8 |

Everybody at school has the same black shoes with double white stripes. Naturally, Jeremy also wants the same shoes everybody has but his grandmother can only afford what they need. And what Jeremy needs are boots for winter. One day at school, Jeremy’s shoes get ruined and is given some shoes which his classmates make fun of. All except Antonio. Later his grandmother takes him to buy shoes. And Jeremy searches until he finds the shoes he wants for a good price. Although they are too small for his feet, Jeremy buys the shoes he’s alway wanted from the thrift shop. He notices that Antonio’s shoes are also ruined and Jeremy decides to give him his shoes. Jeremy learns that there are other more important things in life. 

A great relatable book for all children who are often carried away by all the wants and don’t realize there are more important things in life like family and friends who love you, a home, and other needs. At school we get into the pressure that we need to have everything everyone else has whether it’s the newest phone, the newest shoes, the newest clothing brand, the most expensive toy, etc. This book teaches readers to be grateful for the other most important things in their lives that they have. I think it’s a good book to share with your class, specially at the beginning of the school year or after the holidays. It’s important to remember that material things aren’t the most important thing. This book is relatable to any age, but it’s targeted more towards grade levels kindergarten to second grade. With this book, you can have your class create a “I’m thankful for” assignment. It can be a picture collage or a written list, or give a student a cut out shaped paper such as a leaf and post their answers in the wall. You can also discuss with your students math and talk about wants vs needs, and have them go "shopping" in the classroom with a budget and a short prompt such as "you have a dog and live with a family of 3" and have them be able to correctly balance their money without going over the budget.