AR: 3.1

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In my opinion this is a good book for children. It has good illustrations that are dramatic and engaging for readers. They are vibrant and playful, which I is actually fun for both the reader and any adults reading as well. I think this is a good thing, especially for new readers, because it shows them that good books can be fun and entertaining. I also like the language the author uses. Its simplistic enough to be understood by young students while still keeping its integrity as a good book. The plot is relatable for students, most of them will know what watermelons are, what stealing is and what it feels like to want to fit in. When the one bear dares the other to steal a watermelon, he mentions how its "a yucky feeling to do something yucky". Any reader who has ever experienced something similar could automatically relate to this since it is a feeling of guilt. I also like how how the characters are animals, this eliminates any bias regarding demographics. The message of this story is to not give into peer pressure and stand strong as an individual. ( )

sister bear has her rope taken by bullies and her brother goes to get it back. the bullies made fun of brother bear and dared him to steal a watermelon. brother bear does it but ends up getting in trouble. he tells the farmer all about it and eventually one of the bullies dads yelled at the bullies for being mean.
1 book

I liked this book for two reasons. First, the idea of peer pressure is something that all readers can relate to. In the book, Brother Bear knows that stealing is wrong. However, his desire too be considered cool by Too-Tall and his gang over takes his morals and he goes for it. This is very good for readers to think about, what might they do because of peer pressure, or what they may have pressured someone else into doing that is wrong. Second, I liked the Illustrations. The world is very nicely drawn and you get a clear sense of the setting that the bears live in. The expressions of the characters are also done very well. You clearly see Brother's discomfort as he attempts to steal the watermelon, plus the mockery of Too-Tall and his buddies as they pressure him. Overall this book is very good, from its relateable protagonist, to the trouble making antagonists, and a great central idea of moral strength verses peer pressure. Something that is very crucial for kids to learn. ( )

One of the better Berenstain Bear books. Two highlights are the metaphors of chickens and sheep becoming real on the farm, and the brief appearance by Double-Ton Grizzly at the end. ( )

It was fun to reread a book from one of my favorite series, The Berenstain Bears, and I enjoyed it just as much now as I did when I was younger. I liked this book for two reasons, the first of which being because of the illustrations. I especially like the depiction of the bear characters because they all look cute and endearing, even the bully Too-Tall and his gang. I also liked how on some pages, the background is white and the pictures are shown in different circles across the pages. This is helpful because many events could happen on one page, so these illustrations show all of the events in a fun format. The second reason that I enjoyed this book is because of the overall moral and theme of the story. Brother Bear wants to join a group of friends, but they ask him to steal a watermelon from Farmer Ben’s garden. He catches Brother and teaches him a valuable lesson about thinking for himself, which helps Brother see that he doesn’t belong with a crowd of friends that want him to do bad things. This story can be relatable for many students and help them through peer pressure, which is always present in social and school settings. The main idea of this story is to think for yourself when judging what is right and what is wrong, and don’t do something if you’re not comfortable with it. ( )

Double Dare, by Stan and Jan Berenstain, was one of my favorites as a child. I still love this book and now I enjoy it even more, due to the amazing message it shares. Peer pressure is not the way, was the big picture in this book. My favorite part of this book was the topic, peer pressure is something all kids go through and all kids need to learn about. This book shares a story about peer pressure and what can happen if you follow others. Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the characters, having read this series before I know the behaviors of each character. This book treats you like a first time reader though and shows each personality, so no reader can get lost. I feel this is a very important part in order to understand the big picture. Last, I love the language used in the book, because the author writes beautiful sentences that teaches the reader new vocabulary. I love these books and this one is one of my favorite from the series.