TRY YOUR BEST
by Robert McKissack & illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Putting forth your best effort is the theme of this intermediate easy reader set during an elementary-school sports day. The African-American PE teacher, Mr. York, encourages a little girl named Ann, who thinks she isn’t good at sports. He urges her to try each activity with the repeated refrain of “just try your best,” which she reciprocates when Mr. York joins a relay race. The simple story has a cheerful, positive tone complemented by Cepeda’s paintings in bright primary colors. The Green Light Readers format also includes discussion questions, a simple activity suggestion, author and illustrator bios, and two additional pages of information on the series. (Easy reader. 5-7)