Leo has just moved from Montreal to Toronto and hates his new school. Elsa lives in Boston, navigating her parents' divorce and her dad's relationship with a new girlfriend. The two become "pen pals" via email for a school assignment, and their lives are documented here in a funny and poignant exchange that takes place across their grade five year.
A book about friendship, haiku, and finding one's gifts.
Marco Fraticelli is an award-winning poet from Montreal who spent almost 50 years teaching Grade 5. This is his first children's book.
"Dear Elsa is told entirely through the emails the two children send to each other, with the emails generally not being more than a page in length. With this framing device, Fraticelli keeps the pace of the story moving at a steady clip as readers feel like they're witnessing a constant conversation where more and more of each character?s personality is revealed over time. Young readers will also be able to relate to both Leo and Elsa's struggles with school, living up to the expectations of parents and teachers and the difficulty of making new friends. Following the story, Fraticelli also includes an instruction sheet on writing haiku.
Recommended"
— CM Magazine
Nominated for the 2024 Diamond Willow Award!
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