The Web Files

The Web Files by Margie Palatini is a really fun picture book whether you are reading it to yourself, or reading it to a class.  It is not a new book by any means, it was published in 2001, but it is a new one to me.  I came acrossThe Web Files while I was subbing in an elementary school library.  When subbing I love to look at the book collections and read while I have down time.  I have enjoyed several of Palatini’s books (Broom Mates, Zoom Broom, Piggie Pie, Bad Boys, Earthquack, and more).  I really think Palatini is a creative and fun author, and I would love to meet her someday. 

The Web Files has a mystery aspect to it, an abundance of alliterations, and text-to-text connections with several nursery rhymes.  I’d give this book a 5 out of 5 stars for it’s creative story, excellent word choice, and fun pictures. I think this would be an excellent choice for teachers of 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, or 6^thgrade to use in lessons dealing with word choice in student writing.  Besides a teacher being able to use this book for a great lesson, there are several homophones and a multitude of fun alliterations like luscious leafy lettuce and perfect purple almost pickled peppers to make the read a-loud exciting. 

Amazon had the following book description:


"DUM DE DUM DUM...

This is the farm. Peaceful. Full of chickens, horse, sheep, and intrigue. Intrigue? Yes - intrigue. Someone has pilfered a peck of perfectly picked purple peppers. Ducktective Web and his partner Bill are hot on the trail of the pepper pincher, but this could be a hard case to quack. Little Boy Blue has an airtight alibi and Jack Horner won't talk. Meanwhile, vegetables are vanishing all over the farm.

Through some fast-paced wordplay and quick ducktective work, Web is able to track down the culprit, and seize That Dirty Rat before all the salad-makings are snatched."

Go get this Palatini book, and while you are at it look for any of her other picture books b/c they are all great!