A New Perspective for Children's Literature

The characters in these stories are Danny, Jack and Marta. With the repetition of each story, a network is formed which may seem confusing, but Danny, Jack and Marta always know what's going on, and how to tell their story. When Danny is telling the story he is the protagonist, and Jack and Marta are the secondary characters. What he doesn't know is that, at the same time, two other stories are taking place and he is a secondary character in these, the stories of Jack and Marta. Child readers love to anticipate the storyline of a book, and the interwoven perspectives captivate their attentioin again and again, as they anticipate different repeated details, where the stories connect, where they differ. It also encourages them to create their own perspective, their own Family of Stories, as many readers delve into creative writing projects to tell about their own experiences.

A Family of Stories

There are always two sides to every story -- and sometimes even three. In this family of five the stories weave themselves around common themes: birthdays and Christmas, summer vacation and the first day of school, even a visit from their Spanish abuelos. Join Danny, Jack and Marta as each gets the chance to tell the story, in this way creating a network of stories that more accurately mirrors the reality of family life. Three children -- three protagonists, and incredibly, although living in the same household, they all manage to see things quite differently, each one bringing their own perspective and personality to life. Enjoy reading them with your children, or in a classroom setting. Readers of any age are often left discussing who their favorites are, who is most like them, and how their personal perspective fits into their own "Family of Stories."