Annotation

This story about Eddie and Sparky, best friends, is about a rodeo at school. Eddie’s class and Sparky’s class compete to win the rodeo. The score is close and the final event decides the winner. Eddie’s class wins. Sparky is mad and sad, but when Eddie find him, Sparky decides he likes his friend Eddie more than winning.

My Review:
This is such a cute story about two boys who are best friends. Eddie’s class competes against Sparky’s class to win the rodeo at school. The events are very creative including the cowboy boot hill search, the teddy bear (stringing) and the tortilla toss. The classes’ scores are tied, but there is one more event to determine the winner. Sparky’s class losses and he is upset. His friend Eddie finds him and Sparky decides he likes his friend more than he likes winning. The two gallop off into the sunset on their sock-headed horses. There is a subtle message in this great story. Learning to lose is a skill that much be acquired.

Other Reviews

Kirkus Reviews - This review describes the story well with an emphasis on the fun that ensues during the rodeo at school, “. Its rodeo day and the big-boots-wearing Sparky and ten-gallon-hat-wearing Eddie smack their jeans and gallop on their sock-headed horses, yahooing all the way to school. “ It also alludes to the lesson in the tale, “When Eddie's team wins, Sparky gets weepy, and the obvious use for the bandanna is drying cowboy tears.” This review is enthusiastic and would convince me to take part in the fun.

Booklist – This review also speaks well of the story and the excitement of the best friends to participate in the rodeo at school, “Dressed in western garb and raring to go, the boys and their classmates compete in four events: roping their teddy bears, searching a mountain of boots for their own and putting them on, flinging tortillas Frisbee-style for distance, and naming all the possible uses for a bandanna.” The review gives a better description of the lesson to be learned than the Kirkus review, “After Sparky's class loses, and he collapses in tears, the boys learn a lesson about winning, losing, and friendship. This review would also “steer” me toward the book and the Eddie and Sparky series. ( )

Great story, poor layout with one grammatical error. ( )

Lexile: 290
Reading Recovery: 12
DRA: 12
Fountas Pinnel Guided Reading: G