Take a Pause, Paul

November 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Brief stories explain concepts clearly, while retro illustrations depict a recurring cast of diverse schoolmates correcting written work by adding specific punctuation marks. Each offering begins with a concise explanation of the general functions of punctuation and particular marks; specific marks are highlighted in color on covers and within stories. Each book reinforces others, since examples of different punctuation marks are used in each title. Each volume concludes with a reminder about how and when to use the marks, and examples are provided. A quibble about the commas volume: there are examples of commas separating a person being addressed from the rest of the sentence (e.g., "Take a pause, Paul"), but this rule isn't clarified anywhere. VERDICT These very basic introductions will work best when accompanying classroom instruction.

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