Shoeshine Girl

Title: Shoeshine Girl

Author: Clyde Robert Bulla

Illustrated by: Leigh Grant

"Shoeshine Girl" is an incredible story of money, hard work, and community. Sarah Ida is sent from the big city to a small town named Palmville. Her and her parents aren't getting along so she is sent to spend the summer with her Aunt Claudia. After arriving, Sarah Ida makes it clear that she doesn't want to be there and that she wants an allowance. Aunt Claudia has been instructed not to give any money to Sarah Ida and this infuriates her even more. Soon a girl in the neighborhood, Rossi Wigginhorn, comes by to meet Sarah Ida. They return to her house and Sarah Ida sees a piggy bank and convinces Rossi to 'loan' her 4 dollars. Aunt Claudia finds out and tells her to give it back. Angry, Sarah Ida says she is going to get a job (at 10-years-old) to make money. The only place that will take her is the shoeshine shop owned by Al Winkler. He gives her the chance to work for him even though he isn't sure she can do it especially because she is a girl. Soon, the two develop a rapport and run the business together. One day, this is shattered when Al is hit by a car and gets sent to the hospital. He tells Sarah Ida to close the shop. Instead, she keeps the shop open by herself. For a week and a half she runs the shop and gives the money to the Winklers. Soon after Al returns to the shop, Sarah Ida finds out her mother is truly ill and her family wants her back home. Sarah Ida wants to stay with the community she loves, but Al convinces her that she must return home because family is very important. Sarah Ida returns home with a new sense of joy and respect for people and money.

I think this book would be excellent to use in a 3rd-5th grade classroom. The books flows easily and the language isn't too difficult. It shows students that money isn't everything and community and family are everything. I can create a lesson based on this book by having students categorize what is important to them and why. We can then discuss that money isn't bad, but family and friends are going to stay around while money may not. It can also lead to the class creating a map of their community and the people in it. It will give them a chance to see how everyone contributes to a community and why they are all important.

I can also have a discussion about gender discrimination and how it can affect people even their age. This discussion/lesson would be more for 5th grade. We can have a chart up on the board in which they separate different professions or labels for boys and girls. We can then use this book to show that girls can do anything that a boy could do. I would show them not to hold themselves back because of what society says they can or can't do. It would apply to both girls and boys. And I think this book would be a great example for that sort of lesson.