Independent Reading Level:
Awards: 2010 Storytelling World Award ( )

Summary:
Ruth sits on her front porch and looks into the sky while her mother points out stars in the sky. Her mother always tells her to count her lucky stars and tells her things that she is thankful for. Ruth does not believe she is lucky since she and her family are going through hard times during the Great Depression. Her father is away working in the Civilian Conservation Corps, she is not able to return to school, and her family cannot afford to buy many things. Once her mother gets a job and Ruth is put in charge of taking care of her younger sister Janie, she realizes that she is lucky after all. She is able to be a teacher for her younger sister Janie and the other kids on the street and enjoys every minute of it. She then looks into the sky and sees all the lucky stars in her life.

Personal Opinion:
I really liked this book. I thought it had a great lesson and was also enjoyable. It teaches children that they should always be thankful for what they have because there are always other people that have it worse than they do. This would be an excellent book to use in most elementary grades, especially if they are learning about the Great Depression since it represents what families dealt with during the time. The illustrations help bring the story to life and make it easier to understand what her family was going through. The book is interesting and has great illustrations which work together to keep the reader engaged. ( )