Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great story for kids. Happy Days Elementary got to have pen pals and they wrote to kids in Ukraine. Amaleigha gets to write to Vova, they become quick friends. They ask each other all sorts of questions. They soon find out that a war has been called in Ukraine. Amaleigha and her class help raise money, to try and help everyone out.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha is a young girl in 3rd grade and one day her teacher, Mr Bowles, announces that they are going to be getting a pen pal and writing to students of a school in Ukraine and everyone is excited about this opportunity, so they cannot wait to see who is going to be their pen pal. Amaleigha is paired with a girl called Vova, she is given a card with some details about Vova and she writes her first letter asking some questions and showing her interest about learning about Vova’s life and soon the class’s letters are ready and sent off.
As the class are waiting for their letters, they start to learn more about Ukraine and its traditions, culture and life in general and this helps them to write their letters, that is until one day when their letters spoke about something other than excitement to learn more about each other, the possibility of a war with Russia.
What does this mean for Amaleigha and Vova’s friendship through letters and how will this war impact them both? This is a book which talks about current events in a way that is fun, but also serious at the same time and is a wonderful way to show how to handle the emotions that go along with them, it is brilliant for all ages and well worth a read.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a cute book that I enjoyed reading with my nieces ages 10 and 11. Each of them took turns reading, each did very well so it was easy to read and understand. This story actually really had them wanting to also have a pen pal. It’s a story that also had us learning new things about a different place so that was fun, it also had some difficult subject matter but this author handled it wonderfully. My nieces really got hooked and it opened a lot of different conversations with them about different parts of the world. The art work wasn’t every page but when it was there it was colorful and well done.Over all we’d give this book a four star rating and my nieces would like more stories like this.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt. I enjoyed this book so much. Its a great kids book but even as a old lady, I enjoyed it. Amaleigha’s class has decided to be pen pal’s with kids from other countries. When Amaleigha picks a young boy from Ukraine they become fast friends. Vova is 9 years old and loves going to school and playing with his friends. No one had a clue that while they were pen pals that a war would break out in Ukraine and Vova would go from a happy go lucky child to a child scared to death for him and his family. Bombs are going off all around him and his dad has signed up with the Ukraine Services. No knowing what might happen to his dad scares Vova the most. This is such a great book for ages 4 to 8 but like I said I think all ages will enjoy it. Such a educational, emotional read.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha is given the opportunity to write to children in other countries by her teacher, Mr Bowles.
Before they are able to write to children in Ukraine, they learn more about the country, such as it is the second largest European country.
After learning a bit about the country, Amaleigha is excited to write to her pen pal to ask them questions about the country!
The day arrives where she is finally able to write to her pen pal! Mr. Bowles passes out notecards with names and Amaleigha writes to Vova. She tells him about her family, where she goes to school and even her favorite food.
They wait for the responses and sometime later, Amaleigha receives hers. Vova tells Amaleigha that they are learning about America in school and reading books by Ukrainian authors. He also explains about his daily life and that he may want to be an artist.
Reading this made me wish that we had done something similar to this when I was in school. It seems like a great way to discover more about a different country and how other people live.
In one correspondence, Amaleigha and other students read a letter that mentions war with Russia which causes the students to be worried about their pen pals and the people of Ukraine.
I went into this thinking it was going to be a short read. It was a lot more descriptive and an emotional roller coaster than I thought.
I learned a lot about Ukraine. War is scary and just because war is not happening around someone, doesn’t mean one shouldn’t stay informed or finds ways to help.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love the concept of this book and I like that it encourages pen pals and learning about other countries/cultures. There are nice facts about Ukraine and I do think it’s a good book to start the conversation of the war over there. The book actually caused me to do my own research because the term “old country” was used frequently. I spoke to a couple people and we all see that phrase as like a third world country. I feel this is a good book for older kids because the mentioning of people getting shot when leaving their home might scare younger kids. The book is longer than most children stories but there illustrations are great and they make a nice break between pages.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A beautifully done story about an American 3rd grader and her pen pal from Ukraine. As the story unfolds war breaks out, causing concern for her pen pal.
This book takes a delicate topic and shows us from the eyes of a child. We sometimes forget children see the world very differently. This is a great story to immerse your kids in different cultures and to explain our ever changing world climate
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a very cute story of a young girl and her pen pal, who is from Ukraine. The book includes information on their lifestyle and some customs. Very informative. I had a pen pal when I was younger and loved writing and receiving letter
Reviewed by Terri Jo McAllister
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a lovely story. I love Amaleigha, she is such an insightful little girl considering her age. I love that she was able to make friends with someone who has a completely different life to her. Through writing to Vova and learning about the war in his country enabled Amaleigha to think about how she can support him and his country even from thousands of miles away.
This is such a great story to read to children to help them understand different countries in the world and what is happening there.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Thought provoking. Informative. Inspirational. This is the first book I have read by the talented Janice Pratt and honestly, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect which led to a huge surprise.
Amaleigha is an American third grade student. Her teacher Mr. Bowels has exciting news about the class having pen pals across the world in the Ukraine. Throughout the book her class learns about the Ukraine, their customs and history between waiting for their next letters. Suddenly, Vova, her pen pal and several others are saying the same things that the news is. Russia has declared war on Ukraine, and they don’t know when they can write again. Determined to try and help Amaleigha and her class work together to help their new friends.
This book covers several levels of curiosity. About other countries outside your own, the customs and traditions of others, empathy for others, and finding ways to help when you feel too small to do anything. I read this book to my two sons, eleven and six, and they both started asking more questions, asking if it was real, if it was still happening and if we could do anything to help. This book helps children understand that just because we live in different places and do things differently it doesn’t mean we are different. Amaleigha instantly saw the similarities in her and Vova. The book doesn’t necessarily have an end, but it ends with a prayer. For the children, families, and people of Ukraine.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a cute story about kids making new friends and learning about the pen pal program. I myself learned about Ukraine so your child will also. It is an easy read. I loved having a pen pal as a kid so it definitely brought back memories.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a very charming, wonderful children’s book. Amaleigha gets a pen pal with a Ukrainian boy which grows into a friendship. When things seem like their getting hard for Vova the class decides to try and do something wonderful and generic to for the community in Ukraine. This book was very well illustrated, and the pictures flows and went well with the story. this was a very inspirational and inspiring story on how no mater what you can make a difference in someone’s life. My kids really enjoyed this book.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Star’s
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend is a wonderfully written children’s book that my son and I truly enjoyed reading. We love reading about Amaleigha and what she’s doing. My son just started kindergarten and is very excited about learning all the things. What we love most about this author and her books is the message you take away from reading her books. Amaleigh’s class learns about Ukraine and having pen pals .They all get letters from their pen pals all while learning about them and what they like to do. Amaleigh learned so about from her pen pal vova. My son now wants a pen pal. We loved this book and the illustrations bring the story to life. I highly recommend reading this book. We look forward to reading more from this Author .
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A friendship created through a penpal program between a girl in the 3rd grade from the USA and a boy in Ukraine. Amaleigha is excited to learn about her penpal through the letters exchanged between her and her new friend Vova. Not only are these kids learning about each other but also about the rich history of Ukraine and about the United States. As they get to know each other better, Vova shares that his family and the villagers are worried about the war with Russia. It is good to see the different experience these 3rd graders are learning about through their penpal. My children enjoyed the book as we read and discussed the current situation in Ukraine.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Janice Pratt writes really well written children’s books that cover really important topics and allows children to learn about heavy things in a light hearted manner. I know all of us adults remember when we wrote to a pen pal in elementary school and how excited we were to send/receive letters from around the world! This book focuses on pen pals from Ukraine right before their war with Russia started. Janice discussed how fearful the children were, how some of their parents were aiding the military, and what types of precautions some of the children had to take like evacuating their homes. I thought the children in the book doing a change drive to raise money to help the people in Ukraine was a wonderful idea and much like Janice is doing with the proceeds from the purchase of this book. I’ve read quite a few of this authors books and this was another meaningful, well written, well illustrated book from this author.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really liked this story. It was informative but still fun to read. It merged knowledge with empathy. I homeschool my kids and while they’re too old for this book, it did give me ideas for Geography class.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Third grader Amaleigha is thrilled to find out she is going to have a pen pal from Ukraine. As she gets to know Vova, a nine year old boy she finds out that Ukraine is on the cusp of war. Hoping he stays safe Amaleigha with her class and teacher find a way to support Ukraine during this turbulent time.
This was a thought provoking story for children. The story ticked a lot of boxes while describing cultural differences, the war in Ukraine and supporting others. A great book to help communicate the issues of the world to young ones.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha Makes A New Friend is a cute addition to the Amaleigha series by Janice Pratt. I absolutely love the beautiful illustrations in this sweet children’s story, they really help to bring the whole story to life. The story is sweet, interesting, educational, and has meaningful messages about friendship, helpfulness, compassion, and making a difference. The author sprinkled in a little drama and angst too, which gives the story an added element of interest.
Amaleigha’s third grade class learns a lot about the Ukraine when her teacher assigns their class a pen pal program. The class will be exchanging letters with student in the Ukraine, and Amaleigha’s pen pal is Vova, a nine-year-old boy. Through exchanging letters back and forth with Vova, Amaleigha learns about him, his family, and life in the Ukraine. With war on his doorstep, Amaleigh worries for her friend. Things seem quite dire. She and her classmates all want to help and decide on a class fundraising activity to try to make a small difference. And so, a sweet story is born.
As with Amaleigha’s other stories, this book also promotes the idea that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The messages are inspirational and easy for children to understand.
Happy reading!
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a story about how Ameleigha meets a new friend from Ukraine. Her teacher leads her class to become pen pals with other kids her age from Ukraine. Her and her classmates learn about Ukraine all while writing back and forth with their new pen pals, until Russia goes to war with Ukraine. Now she is waiting to hopefully hear back from her pen pal that they are alright. I loved this book as I had a pen pal when I was a kid and could relate. It’s neat to learn about others around the world and become lifelong friends. I highly recommend this book!!!
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This really important book is about two children across the world from each other learning about each other lives. One in America and one in the Ukraine experiencing the war firsthand. It is written so compassionately in a way that children will understand. Please read this book to your children.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I was in school, I made a pen pal friend from Chile. I learned so much about culture and daily life differences that I “corrected” my teacher about something obscure. This book brought me back to that year in school and reminded me how important it is to know people who are different than you. This story about Amaleigha and Vova is important with current events, making a difference and friendship.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars
Amaleigha Makes A New Friend is a cute addition to the Amaleigha series by Janice Pratt. I absolutely love the beautiful illustrations in this sweet children’s story, they really help to bring the whole story to life. The story is sweet, interesting, educational, and has meaningful messages about friendship, helpfulness, compassion, and making a difference. The author sprinkled in a little drama and angst too, which gives the story an added element of interest.
Amaleigha’s third grade class learns a lot about the Ukraine when her teacher assigns their class a pen pal program. The class will be exchanging letters with student in the Ukraine, and Amaleigha’s pen pal is Vova, a nine-year-old boy. Through exchanging letters back and forth with Vova, Amaleigha learns about him, his family, and life in the Ukraine. With war on his doorstep, Amaleigh worries for her friend. Things seem quite dire. She and her classmates all want to help and decide on a class fundraising activity to try to make a small difference. And so, a sweet story is born.
As with Amaleigha’s other stories, this book also promotes the idea that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The messages are inspirational and easy for children to understand.
Happy reading!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. I think it deals with a very important topic and will benefit kids as they learn that people who live in another country are not that different from them. The story was really good and had a good flow. This would be a good story for any child in grade school as they will relate to the characters and the story. I recommend this book and this author if you have a child who loves to read and learn about new places.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a fantastic read!
Amaleigha’s 3rd grade class gets pen pals from Ukraine. It’s in these letters that they get to learn about each other’s cultures, countries, families, and everyday life. As they keep writing, they get to ask questions and learn more and more about their new friends. Everything was going amazingly until the Ukraine students wrote and told Amaleigha and her classmates about the possible war they were facing with Russia and how scared they were. This proceeded to open up all the fear the students had for their friends while also giving them the incentive and chance to learn more about different types of unrest in the world.
Janice Pratt has written a very thought provoking book about differences between individuals and the struggles they endure. She really handled the war in such a sensitive manner that allows you to ease into learning more about the world around you and how everything can and usually does affect everyone else in some way. I also really enjoyed the colorful illustrations and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were drawn by a Ukrainian artist, Alina Kralia, who has had to relocate because of the unrest in Ukraine.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a well written book that shows how a young person can develop a friendship across the ocean through written letter. This story shows how Amaleigha makes a new friend in the Ukraine and develops an understanding of where her friend lives – which is much different than were we live. Not only did she learn about the present Ukraine, but her teacher taught them the history of the country – giving them the background needed to know and understand present day Ukraine. This story provides a glimpse of how children view wartime and how those of us not living it can have empathy. What a great book!
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend is a sweet story by Janice Pratt. Amaleigha is a third grader whose class started writing pen pals letters to kids in Ukraine. Amaleigha’s new friend is named Vova. As Ukraine and Russia go to war Vova’s father goes to war and Amaleigha worries for her new friend and her family’s safety. This was a very good story. It teaches small children about learning about and embracing other cultures. It also helps to introduce topics of war in an appropriate way. There are also plenty of beautiful pictures for the children to enjoy. This is a very good book to teach young children about current-day events.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thought the introduction was cool- brings up Ukraine, pen pals, and making friends (real or true story). A little wordy, so would recommend for at least first grade and above. The story gives a nice overview of Ukraine- both a brief history and a geography.
The story is sweet and children anywhere will connect to the topics in the pen pail letters- from time with family to sports/hobbies to friends. Would recommend for any class that are interested in other cultures and/or penpal writing.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend is a children’s book for kids between the ages of six to ten years of age. The story focuses on third grader, Amaleigha, who attends Happy Days Elementary School. When her teacher asks the children in his third-grade class to become pen pals with children in the Ukraine Amaleigha is excited to learn about another country. As Amaleigha and her pen pal, Vova, write letters back and forth, each learn about the other’s lives and cultures. They ask each other questions about what their homes look like, how many siblings they have, and what activities they do for fun. Amaleigha’s teacher also shows his class about the Ukrainian culture by showing them how Christmas is celebrated and what foods they eat. When a war develops between Russia and the Ukraine Amaleigha is worried about her new friend and his family. She has a big heart and wants to find a way to help so Amaleigha and her class raise money to help their new friends affected by the war in the Ukraine.
This was a beautifully written book that was informative and educational for children. It not only taught a lot about the cultures in the Ukraine but also touched on a difficult subject in an easy-to-understand manner. The illustrations were bright, colorful, and really brought the story to life. I highly recommend this book!
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a must-read for all ages!!!
Amaleigha’s 3rd grade class has been learning about Ukraine and they each get a pen pal to correspond with throughout the school year. Vova is Amaleigha’s pen pal. They write back and forth as much as they can asking questions about life in their respective country, what their home looks like, number of siblings, what they do for fun, etc. They both learn a lot about each other. Amaleigha’s teacher is showing them things in class that the people in Ukraine do for fun as well as foods they eat too. It’s a true cultural experience.
One day, letters arrive from Ukraine and many students are upset to read about the unrest happening there amongst their new friends’ families. The students rally together to send some help to their new friends.
EVERYONE should read this book, regardless of age. It’s a great way to explain what is happening to the younger generation and the older generation could take some cues in terms of ways to reach out and help. Pen pals can be such a valuable resource!
This is a great book that should be in every home or school!
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In school Amaleigha writes a penpal in Ukraine. Vova ends up being Amaleigha’s penpal and friend. Vova ends up telling Amaleigha that Ukraine is going to war with Russia. Amaleigha’s teacher teaches them about Ukraine because of their penpals. They make bread, do a puppet show, and celebrate Christmas. They also raise money to help with the war for the Ukraine’s.
