________________ CM . . . .
Volume VIII Number 1 . . . . September 7, 2001
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Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace.
Mary Borsky. Illustrated by Linda Hendry. Toronto, ON: Tundra, 2001. 120 pp., pbk., $8.99. ISBN 0-88776-523-8.
Grades 3-5 / Ages 8-10.
Review by Gillian Noonan.
*** /4
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excerpt:
Benny Bensky woke
to the delicate aroma of bacon and the sense that this was not a regular
day. Could it possibly be, he asked himself dreamily, Christmas morning?
He sniffed the air and wiggled himself slowly into wakefulness. Could
it possibly be, he asked himself again, my birthday? Could it possibly
be ... and suddenly he opened his eyes to find Mr. Bensky beaming
down at him.
"Good morning, Benny!"
Mr. Bensky boomed. "All ready for your first day of obedience school?"
Benny Bensky
is a lovable pooch whose easy-going life with Rosie Bensky and her parents
is thrown into turmoil when a few mistakes lead him to Ms. Viola Pin's
dog obedience school. As the title, Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace,
suggests, there are two story lines -- one, Benny Bensky, and the other,
the Perogy Palace. The Perogy Palace is the Bensky family restaurant and
it is losing customers. The perogies are just not as good as they were,
and even Benny won't eat them. The mystery of the perogies is tied to
Benny's problems at dog obedience school. It is up to Rosie, her friend,
Fran, and Benny to solve the mystery and save the day.
Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace is
a good read aloud for an upper primary, early elementary audience. Young
readers will readily identify and sympathize with the problems of Benny,
Rosie, and Fran. The problems of the Perogy Palace will take second
place in their interest just as it does in this book. It is not until
near the end that the few clues dropped throughout the obedience school
misadventure are connected to the restaurant's misfortunes. The ethnic
element of perogies adds to the story's interest and a recipe for perogies
is included at the end of the story.
Recommended.
Gillian Martin Noonan is a teacher living in Old Perlican, Newfoundland.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364
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