The story of the little angel Melvin who cleans his star so well that in the end he wins a competition and has the honor to be the star of Bethlehem really is heartwarming. For a long time Melvin wants to have a star to polish and clean until it shines and finally one day his dream comes true. It's only a little star but it is his. His friend tells him about a star competition and Melvin decides to be part of it. He doesn't think that he stands a chance but he wins against all angels including the big Gabriel. The Lord chooses him to be the star for a special birthday, he will be the star of Bethlehem. I think children can really identify with little Melvin standing up against bigger kids or grown-ups. The illustrations are beautiful and until the last word of the story you have no clue to where this is leading. It is a different christmas story than the ones we usually here but it has the right Christmas spirit in it - a wonderful story and a wonderful book I can highly recommend.

There is something of a mystery as to "How the Second Grade Got $8,205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty" because the fund raiser efforts of the kids in the second grade at Newton Barnaby School tend to be lessons in the ways of the world when it comes to economics. For example, as reported by Susan Olson, class treasurer and reporter, the kids collected two tons of all kinds of paper for which they were paid the princely sum of $$$ by Mr. Abner Carmody, "recycler of everything." However, because of such expenses as paying for the use of wagons to convey the aforementioned two tons of all kinds of paper, not to mention unforeseen occurrences such as parking tickets Johnny Paine's father's comic book collection, prospects seem dim. So the surprise is how the second grade managed to make a profit of $$$$$ from a car wash in which in one car was (almost) partially washed. Bill Slavin provides the pen and watercolor illustrations for Nathan Zimelman's story, which might not help second graders earn money for their own class trip to the Statue of Liberty (or some other cool place), but which will certain teach them that making money can be an expensive undertaking. Somewhat surprisingly, there is actually very little about the Statue ot Liberty in this slim volume, but then I think it is safe to assume that everybody knows why they would want to visit the Lady in New York harbor anyhow.