The Middle Child Blues

The Middle-Child Blues by Kristyn Crow probably had some of my favorite illustrations ever. I'm pretty critical about illustrations, so saying that these were some of my favorite is a pretty big deal. They were full page, big and bright and provided SO much to look at. They had a shiny quality to them and they were so unique. Not only were the illustrations great, but the story was great as well. As read in the title, the main character has a serious case of the middle child blues. The book is written in the well known blues song format, and it made me want to sing the words. However, I'm not THAT familiar with the blues tune so I wouldn't have done a very good job but it added an interesting element to the story. It's also entirely relatable for many students. Being the middle child isn't always easy and this character brings to light many of the frustrations that middle children can feel. Of course, in the end he comes to some sort of resolution with his middle child status and it makes for a delightful book. I would highly recommend having this book in a classroom, for its relatability and for it's delightful pictures and story.