Review by Booklist Review
Boelts tackles both the appeal of high-tops and the difficulty of doing the right thing in a story narrated by African American Jeremy. In the opening pages, Jeremy lies on the floor of his apartment, drawing while his grandmother reads. She answers his request for those shoes with, There's no room for want' around here just need.' And what you need are new boots for winter. Jeremy notes how many classmates are wearing the black shoes with white stripes. He is humiliated when one of his own shoes comes apart during recess, and the well-meaning guidance counselor gives him a bright-blue pair of shoes decorated with uncool superheroes. Jeremy wants high-tops so much that he settles for a thrift-shop pair that are really too small. After some delay, he gives in to his kinder impulses and passes them on to a smaller friend. Ultimately, he gets his reward snow and makes great use of his new winter boots. Jones' autumn-toned illustrations wonderfully complement Boelts' sweet-natured main characters and nondidactic life lesson.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Maribeth Boelts's award-winning picture book (Candlewick, 2007) offers a kid's-eye view of shoe envy as well as a message about generosity. A giant billboard featuring black high-top sneakers with white stripes looms above the street and the power of persuasive advertising affects all the children in an inner city school. Everyone wants to own a pair, including Jeremy. But his Grandma says, "There's no room for want around here, just need." Jeremy's shoes rip during a kickball game, and he must wear cast-off shoes provided by the school counselor. His classmates' jeers and laughter are painful. Jeremy visits a thrift shop and finds a discounted pair of "those" sneakers, and buys them even though they are a size too small. When they fail to stretch and his feet hurt, he gives them to his friend. While he doesn't get what he wants, he gets what he needs-a friend. Noah Z. Jones's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are scanned iconographically. Boelts narrates in a clear voice and hip music by Eric Miller complements the text. While the author's narration is fine, an African-American male might have been more effective in voicing Jeremy. In a Conversation with the Author, Boelts discusses her purpose in writing the book. A poignant look at the themes of economic hardship, fitting in, the power of advertising, and friendship.-Lonna Pierce, MacArthur Elementary School, Binghamton, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) Jeremy yearns for the expensive striped high-top sneakers that most of the boys in his class, black and white alike, wear. But his kind yet firm grandmother says, ""There's no room for 'want' around here -- just 'need,'"" and when his old shoes fall apart at school, he has to wear what's available: a pair of sneakers with babyish Velcro from the guidance counselor's box of extras. Though humiliated, Jeremy works hard to keep things in perspective (""I'm not going to cry about any dumb shoes""), but when he spots a pair of the prized shoes in a resale shop, he buys them even though they are much too small. Jones uses watercolor, pencils, and ink to depict a multiethnic urban neighborhood. The first spread, which shows a gigantic ""Buy these shoes"" poster looming over small Jeremy, conveys the enormous pressures on children who don't have as much money as their classmates. At the same time, both Boelts and Jones show that even though Jeremy's family lacks disposable income -- and, presumably, live-in parents -- he is secure and loved. Whether children are on the shoe-owning or the shoe-envying side of the economic line, they can sympathize with Jeremy and rejoice in the way he eventually resolves his problem with his too-small shoes. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The hottest fad can also be the most expensive and out of reach for children in limited financial circumstances. Jeremy, living with his Grandma, dreams of wearing the latest cool black high-tops with two white stripes. But as Grandma points out, "There's no room for 'want' around here--just 'need' " and what Jeremy needs and gets is a new pair of winter boots. Jeremy's quest for new sneakers takes on more urgency when his old pair fall apart, and the only choice is the Velcro baby-blue set meant for little kids found in the school's donation box by the guidance counselor. Even Grandma understands and together they search several thrift shops and actually find the coveted black high-tops, but they're too small. Buying them anyway, Jeremy makes a heartfelt decision to put them to a more practical and generous use. Boelts blends themes of teasing, embarrassment and disappointment with kindness and generosity in a realistic interracial school scenario bringing affecting closure to a little boy's effort to cope in a world filled with materialistic attractions and distractions. Muted browns/greens/blues done in watercolors, pencils and ink, and digitally arranged, add to the story's expressive affirmation of what is really important. (Picture book. 6-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
