I promised to write about the books that I don't end up using at my reading programmes because they aren't easily available - and Muggie Maggie is at the top of the list. I've read barely anything by Beverly Cleary. She was somehow one of those famous authors whom I never encountered as a child. It was when she died that I made a conscious effort to look for her books, pick them up, and read them. And when I read chapter books, of course, it is always with the ulterior motive of introducing them to my book clubs.I loved Muggie Maggie. It is such a delightful book! Maggie is determined not to learn cursive writing, but Mrs Leeper, her class teacher, has other plans. She comes up with an ingenious plan, playing on Maggie's curiosity, to make Maggie learn her letters. Maggie's stubbornness, Mrs Leeper's seemingly innocent support of it and the telling of the story were all … [Read more...]