Those Shoes

This book is good to teach children about the difference between want and need. Jeremy wants the newest pair of shoes that all the other kids at school have been wearing. However, after he tells his grandma what he wants she explains that he does not need them, Towards the end of the book Jeremy

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gains an understanding of how important it is to have family and love rather than materialistic things. This book was geared towards a younger age group based on word choice and context but could ultimately be read to all age groups. In my classroom, I would have my students write a T chart list of want and need things and tell me what is more important to them

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Jeremy, who longs to have the black high tops that everyone at school seems to have but his grandmother cannot afford, is excited when he sees them for sale in a thrift shop and decides to buy them even though they are the wrong size.

Review: The story, Those Shoes, focuses on a boy, Jeremy who cannot afford the new shoes that everyone seems to be getting. He ends up finding a pair at a thrift store, but they are not his size. He has to keep wearing the shoes that he was given from school, that students made fun of. The only

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student who did not make fun of Jeremy’s shoes was another boy who can’t afford nice shoes. Jeremy is able to learn the lesson of sharing and compassion, all the while making a friend in this piece of all too true, realistic fiction.

Genre: The genre for Those Shoes, would be realistic fiction. This story is an excellent example of realistic fiction. The situation of poverty is one that affects many. Jeremy’s story of having wants that could not be met and needs that could barely be met was very realistic and believable. In this story, the reader was able to witness the growth of Jeremy as he came to grips with his situation.

Character: Jeremy is a great protagonist. You root for him, feel his embarrassment, sadness and his joy. Jeremy is a dynamic character who is able to grow and change throughout the story. His most monumental change, is when he makes the decision to give his too-small black high tops to his new friend Antonio. This part in the story is where we really see the growth the Jeremy went through displayed.

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Everybody at school has those shoes and Jeremy really wants a pair, but needs new boots instead. The realizes that that the things he has are more than his wants.
Ages 5 years and up
Book Patch, USARMY, JBLM Library

Little Jeremy wants the new high top shoes that everyone else has but his family can't afford to buy them. Eventually him and his Grandmother go to a thrift store and find the shoes for cheap but they are too small. He soon meets a boy who like him has really worn out shoes and so he gives him the

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high tops because they fit him better.

Ages: Elementary

Source: Pierce College Library

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A young boy wants the black shoes with white strips like all the other boys in his class has. But when he gets the shoes he wants he realizes he isn't the only one who can't afford to get what everyone else does.

This is a realistic fiction picture book for students 1st to 2nd grade. This is a great book, not only for exemplifying a different perspective of a child living in poverty, but also has a thoughtful and touching message. I was instantly engaged when reading about a child in poverty, and the

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struggle he faced when he couldn’t afford new shoes like his classmates. I loved how the character was first caught up with wanting to look the, “part” to the extent of squeezing his feet into a pair of hand-me down shoes that are too small, but then sacrifices something important to him to help another. He sees a little boy who also could not afford shoes, so he decided to give him his cool pair of thrift shop shoes that fit the little boy perfectly. And then the story had a perfect ending, after the boy sacrificed his dear shoes, his grandmother saved her money and bought him brand new boots. This ending tied in the central message of the story of sacrificing to help others, and how good deeds pay off.

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This book is about a boy who is poor, but wants an awesome pair of shoes, he even buys a pair too small. When he comes across another boy who is poorer than him, he decides to give his awesome shoes to the other boy.
Ages 3-7
Source ECE class

We liked the book because he wore boots that no one else wore before. The best part was when Antonio and the other boy raced. We like it because he shared his shoes.

All he wants are "THOSE SHOES." Unfortunately, his grandmother has to budget, and she knows he will need new boots for the winter season. When he sees a pair at a thrift store, he has to have them--even if he has to spend his own money and they are too small. He eventually realizes they aren't

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going to stretch, and he settles for the shoes his counselor had given him. He sees that one of his friends is in need of a new pair of shoes, and although it is so hard for him to do, he gives him the shoes he wanted so badly.

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Child wanted a pair of shoes. His shoes were falling apart. He tells his grandma that everyone is wearing these cool shoes , but the prices were expensive. They visit three thrift stores when they finally found a pair that was too small,yet he got them anyway.

This realistic fiction books is about an African american boy who wants a pair of the newest and coolest shoes that everyone at school has. He asks his grandma for them but they are too expensive so they try finding them at a thrift store. They find them at a thrift store and the boy buys them with

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his own money, but the problem is that the shoes are too small for his feet. The boy tries to wear them despite the size issue, but it doesn't work. He eventually sees a boy who has taped up shoes and he decides to give that boy the shoes because they would fit him.

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This is a realistic fiction book about a boy who doesn't have the money to buy the popular shoes. However, he finds a pair at the thrift shop and even though they are too small, he brings them home. The boy realizes that one of his friends at school also doesn't have the money to buy new shoes for

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himself and would love to have his pair that he bought at the thrift shop. The boy avoids giving his friend the shoes at first but finally drops the shoes off at his friends door. His friend is very excited to receive the new pair of shoes. The boy feels angry that he can't have a pair of cool shoes but soon it begins to snow and the boy is able to wear his brand new snow boots to school.

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The story of a boy who wants a new pair of shoes. His grandmother puts a twist on the story.

This awesome book is about a boy who doesn't have a lot of money but wants to buy a cool pair of shoes. He finds a pair at a thrift store and buys them even though they are too small. He meets another boy who also doesn't have a lot of money and that boys shoes are falling apart. He gives his shoes

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that are too small to the other boy and is happy in doing so. It makes him feel good. A great story!
Ages 3-5 and up.

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A little boy wanted these shoes that everyone had but he couldn't afford. After buying a pair that were too small he comes to the realization that shoes are not important and he should give them to someone who needs them.

This story tells about a boy, Jeremy, who wants a pair of shoes that everyone is wearing, but can't afford. Jeremy’s shoes fall apart at school and the guidance counselor gives him a hand-me-down pair of shoes. He buys a pair of shoes from the thrift-shop, however, they are too small. Jeremy ends

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up giving the pair of shoes to a friend who also needed shoes. I like this book and is great for teaching children about needs and wants, also, selflessness.

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This book is full of diversity and relatable moments for the children as they start looking at what others have and seeking status based off of objects. I would read this book with second or third graders because it will be more relatable the older the child gets.

There are many times that most of us have wanted to have "those" shoes that everyone else has but we don't.

Such a deft touch this author has in presenting this story! 'Those Shoes' has a good message but is not tainted with a 'preachy moral' tone. Grandma is compassionate to her young one's desire for the fancy shoes, but she does not compromise the family budget. The interactions of the students in the

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school are realistic. The story is written in such a way that a reader is able to feel for the characters without judging them. The bright illustrations complement the story perfectly. Overall, I found this a great book.

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Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: 2nd-5th
Summary: This tells the story of a boy who wants the popular, new shoes that everyone else at school has.

All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are

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much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

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This was a good book. The plot really was well written. The conflict was extremely well done with an ending no one would have guessed. The little boy is struggling with not having the cool shoes many of the children have and the way that the story progresses was very engaging and heartwarming.

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Another element that this author used well was the point of view. This point of view was portrayed through the first person, the little boy. The point of view added the depth to the story as well as the believeablility. The story was very emotion based and the point of view would not have been good in a different one. The main purpose of this story is to teach children to be kind and to relate to children.

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I like how easy this book was to be able to relate to children. It made asking questions easier. The author of the book made some distinct choices in the book that I could ask students why they think the author chose to do that, and allow them to come up with ideas that could change the whole

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story. I would use this book for 1st - 3rd.

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