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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This is a great chapter book for students reading at a third grade level (DRA 30, beginning of third). It is engaging and deals with the theme of greed and gluttony in a humorous and teachable way. The moral and healthy-diet teachings are overt and clear, and the chapters are short enough to provide reasonable breaks in reading.
I found my students enjoy this book and it lends itself quite naturally to fun extension activities.
I found my students enjoy this book and it lends itself quite naturally to fun extension activities.
reading time: 15 minutes
i love how simple this book is, yet still has a lot of meaning. the writing is so good and perfectly conveys john's emotions and feelings especially his anticipation and panic
don't eat so much chocolate guys!! or you'll end up like john
i love how simple this book is, yet still has a lot of meaning. the writing is so good and perfectly conveys john's emotions and feelings especially his anticipation and panic
don't eat so much chocolate guys!! or you'll end up like john
Read for class studying the Midas mythology. Unjust to John Midas in this book I think
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Reminiscent of those cautionary but humorous Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tales, but this one just seemed so didactic and patronizing. I know it's still a popular read-aloud, but am honestly surprised by the level at which it still engages younger grades.
This was a fun bedtime read. Eliana really enjoyed it despite there not being many pictures. She kept asking for one more chapter, one more page.
Eliana’s review: “100 stars! My favorite part was when he turned his mother to chocolate.”
Eliana’s review: “100 stars! My favorite part was when he turned his mother to chocolate.”
A twist on King Midas and the Golden Touch...except instead of gold, everything John puts in his mouth turns to chocolate.
Humorous and engaging. I like that it teaches the lesson that you can have too much of a good thing.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My single reason for not enjoying this book is that the end message is to not be greedy.
That message makes no sense given what we know of John Midas. His problem is not that he's greedy. He doesn't eat chocolate that's not his and he doesn't steal other peoples' chocolate. He certainly eats too much of it and he has been known to convince others to give him chocolate. But, I wouldn't pin greed as his failing. Even when convincing others there is no indication he is swindling anyone.
To me, he's just a pretty extreme case of a boy who doesn't want to eat anything else. Many kids go through a phase of being a picky eater. Sometimes kids don't grow out of it either and if it's not debilitating in some way it's not a big deal that they don't have 'refined' palates. However, I can see it being a struggle for parents who want to ensure their kid is getting the nutrition they need to grow up strong. Particularly in the year 1957 when we were far less willing to try out patient means of working through pickiness and/or lacked in knowledge of how to go about doing so. Some pickiness is nothing more than contrariness on the part of the child which has to be handled accordingly.
This is pretty much where John falls. He likes other foods, but he loves chocolate and as such is unwilling to eat anything else unless forced. What kid would not want candy everyday? So of course, he's being obstinate.
Therefore the lesson should actually be about being open to trying new things. He can decide he doesn't like new foods after he's given them a legitimate try and comparing it to chocolate is a recipe for disaster. Nothing will ever compare to you absolute favorite food ever. But, you still have to eat other things anyway.
The sole reason it felt like it was 'don't be greedy' was because that aligned with the original tale of King Midas. The circumstances changed enough I do not believe that such messaging applied to the final product.
A perfectly serviceable read brought down a few pegs it did not have to lose for a silly, easily avoidable narrative snag.
That message makes no sense given what we know of John Midas. His problem is not that he's greedy. He doesn't eat chocolate that's not his and he doesn't steal other peoples' chocolate. He certainly eats too much of it and he has been known to convince others to give him chocolate. But, I wouldn't pin greed as his failing. Even when convincing others there is no indication he is swindling anyone.
To me, he's just a pretty extreme case of a boy who doesn't want to eat anything else. Many kids go through a phase of being a picky eater. Sometimes kids don't grow out of it either and if it's not debilitating in some way it's not a big deal that they don't have 'refined' palates. However, I can see it being a struggle for parents who want to ensure their kid is getting the nutrition they need to grow up strong. Particularly in the year 1957 when we were far less willing to try out patient means of working through pickiness and/or lacked in knowledge of how to go about doing so. Some pickiness is nothing more than contrariness on the part of the child which has to be handled accordingly.
This is pretty much where John falls. He likes other foods, but he loves chocolate and as such is unwilling to eat anything else unless forced. What kid would not want candy everyday? So of course, he's being obstinate.
Therefore the lesson should actually be about being open to trying new things. He can decide he doesn't like new foods after he's given them a legitimate try and comparing it to chocolate is a recipe for disaster. Nothing will ever compare to you absolute favorite food ever. But, you still have to eat other things anyway.
The sole reason it felt like it was 'don't be greedy' was because that aligned with the original tale of King Midas. The circumstances changed enough I do not believe that such messaging applied to the final product.
A perfectly serviceable read brought down a few pegs it did not have to lose for a silly, easily avoidable narrative snag.