Patricia Polacco
this was a nice story about the wonders to be found in a good oldfashioned variety store, I just couldn't believe that he would have EVERYTHING that, by coincidence, everyone needed.
It reminded me, however, of Vidler's in East Aurora, NY, a store I love to browse in because you never know what you're going to find, I can see how one might get the feeling that the store has everything in a place like that, Anyway, I liked how he helped Mary and her daughters, I sometimes wish that store owners would barter rather than take money, When I got to the endpapers in the back, I knew Polacco had to have been writing from real life, and, sure enough, the dust jacket confirmed my suspicion.
Maybe a variety store in a small town could have everything, . . As always, Patricia Polacco takes a snapshot of America and makes you wish that it had happened to you, For me, she has done a lot towards advancing my appreciation of the cultures of various countries, This is not my favorite of Polacco's books, The tale seems rooted in reality, and yet it's just a little too eerily convenient how Mr, Hensley has EVERYTHING anyone needs, The book did, however, give me a nostalgic feel for these kinds of "general store" downtown shops that don't really seem to exist anymore, What can I say there IS something about Hensley's!!! My family are fans of Polacco's books, but this one did not live up to our expectations, My child found the fact that the store always had everything people needed to be a bit creepy it reminded me of Stephen King's Needful Things, But the characters of the children and their single mother was very sweet and well done, Grade range:
Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Such a great book! With a great moral as well! This books stresses the importance of being kind to others and trusting in them as well.
I really enjoyed reading aloud this book and would love to do it again! A good look at community when a new family moves into town and there is a medical emergency in the store.
Best part is the owner of the store,Mr, Soncrant, is a real person who, according to the author, has lived a life of helping and changing the lives of others, A very positive book. We love all of Patricia Polacco's books! This one is especially endearing in the way Mr, Hensley helps this sweet family support themselves, This is a sweet story about a store that has anything and everything that the people in Union City need and a nice old man who finds a way to make things better for the folks who live there.
The story is magical and we really enjoyed it and the illustrations are very typical for sitelinkPatricia Polacco's books,
But I have to admit that the entire time I read this story, I couldn't help but think of sitelinkNeedful Things by sitelinkStephen King, shudder I won't say that the memory of that book ruined this story for me, but it certainly made me think of the tale in a different light.
Of course, I didn't share that with our girls!
In any case, we have really enjoyed reading sitelinkPatricia Polacco's books and will look for more that we haven't yet read at our local library.
The neighborhood store, Hensley's, always has exactly what you need, Can Old John, the shopkeeper help, Molly and Kate's family make a better life
Tags: Stores, Retail Singleparent families A magical fable about a small general country store.
Anyone who has ever shopped at a beloved smalltown or local neighborhood store the nonchain, independent kind, with owners who actually work on the premises, and who know their customers by name will appreciate this picturebook tribute to one such store, and its role in the community.
Hensley's a Union City, Michigan store that always seemed to have everything was owned by Old John Soncrant, a generous, kindhearted man who, when he saw a singleparent family in trouble, decided to step in.
. .
I enjoyed Something About Hensley's, which has that combination of warmhearted, saltoftheearth characters, appealing story, and basis in fact like many of the author's books, it is based on real people that I have come to expect from Patricia Polacco's work.
That said, although I appreciated both the story and the illustrations, I don't think this will rank with my favorite Polacco books, Still, withpicturebooks under her belt, it's hard to see how every one could be the best! This is an "inspirational" picture book typical of Patricia Polacco, I liked the artwork, but I don't particularly care for Polacco's writing and slogged through the story,
This was a lengthy story about Old John at Hensley's and little magic perhaps, We enjoyed the story and can appreciate that sometimes it's just a mommy holding it together and we can always use a little magic now and then! Patricia Polacco has a magic story telling gift.
Every my toughest students who don't seem to enjoy story time get drawn into her stories, My students even gasped as the two girls were walking down the street and came across a kitten while having just what they needed to catch the kitten,
I started off telling my class how my husband's family lives in a very small town and everyone loves to go to The Merc, You find all sorts of cool things at The Merc, just like at Hensley's. This is a historical fiction book, The author says she is still loyal to Hensley's because of her great experiences there, At Hensley's Store, everyone finds everything they need, even if they don't know that they need it, When single mom, Mrs. McCafferty and her two daughters, Kate and Molly move into town, it is evident they don't have a lot of money and are struggling, But, at Hensley's they find that sometimes you don't need money to get what you're looking for,
Something About Hensley's brings us back down memory lane when neighbors really looked out for one another and lending a helping hand when one needed it most is worth everything.
Im a city person, but this is one of the few times I was drawn to a small community, I did love the old general stores from some of the places I spent my childhood, although none was as magical as the Hensleys described in this book, John Soncrant runs Hensleys and this book is rightly dedicated to him,
I love how I can now always recognize this authors appearances in her illustrations, from all periods of her life, Its fun to pick her out from amongst all the other people in the pictures,
Yes, I did cry, again, If I was an actress and needed to cry for a scene, Id simply pull out one of Polaccos books and read a couple of pages,
Old John is the “heart of that store” and he has a big heart, Polacco recounts the story of how he goes way out of his way to help one girl who has asthma, her sister, and her mother, and even a cat.
I love the illustrations there were quite a few pages I viewed several times, She really captures the goodness of this man, And oh, did it ever make me want some penny candy!
Yes, this is an idealized version of this community, store, and man, I am sure, but its inspiring and heartwarming if even a portion of it is the truth, and I believe thats the case.
Old John, Hensleys, and most of the people/characters in this book deserve a full five! Small town life with a general store that has everything that you needincluding help for a single mother with two daughters.
Sweet story. There's something about Hensley's! No matter what you need, that general store is sure to have it, It's almost magical the way the manager, Old John, seems to know what the townsfolk need before they do! But then a new family moves to town, The youngest child, Molly, has asthmabut her mother doesn't have money to treat her, or for anything else, But leave it to Old John to find a way to use Hensley's to give the family exactly what it needs, even if it can't be boxed or bagged.
In her usual inimitable style, this gifted storyteller provides several examples of Old John's ability to read his customers and figure out what they need, In particular she focuses on three new residents who have recently moved to the area and are experiencing financial challenges, Not only does Old John provide complimentary bags of candy, but he also trades fishing equipment for the older girl's medical care, helps their mother find a way to bring in extra income, and brings something in need of love into their lives.
By the time the story concluded, I was ready to believe that Old John could do anything and I wanted to visit his store, Based on the actual store and storekeeper, this story just might make readers believe in a little magic as well as restoring their faith in humanity, As usual, the artist uses pencils and markers to create her amazing illustrations that are filled with emotion and wonder as
well as age spots and wrinkles, Readers will want to check out the endpapers too since they feature Polacco herself interacting with Old John while walking her dogs, Not too long ago, our town had a Hensley's called John's Variety, The small American general store is truly missed,
Hensley's store has just the thing that each customer needs and Polacco uses it to write nice little vignettes, I thought there might be a relegious parallel forming, but the book is based on a real store and character, if you are a Polacco fan, this is pleasant, light Polacco fare, Patricia Polacco not only illustrates all her books, but writes the stories from her own life's experiences, This is a darling story about a general store owner, Mr, Hensley, and the magic he brings into the lives of the people in his small town, Mr. Hensley indeed is a friend of Polacco's and owns a quaint general store near her home, LOVE her books! I love learning about the people of Union City, Michigan, I must plan a mini road trip there, It's only.miles from Naperville. Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr.
Falker. She resides in Michigan. .
It reminded me, however, of Vidler's in East Aurora, NY, a store I love to browse in because you never know what you're going to find, I can see how one might get the feeling that the store has everything in a place like that, Anyway, I liked how he helped Mary and her daughters, I sometimes wish that store owners would barter rather than take money, When I got to the endpapers in the back, I knew Polacco had to have been writing from real life, and, sure enough, the dust jacket confirmed my suspicion.
Maybe a variety store in a small town could have everything, . . As always, Patricia Polacco takes a snapshot of America and makes you wish that it had happened to you, For me, she has done a lot towards advancing my appreciation of the cultures of various countries, This is not my favorite of Polacco's books, The tale seems rooted in reality, and yet it's just a little too eerily convenient how Mr, Hensley has EVERYTHING anyone needs, The book did, however, give me a nostalgic feel for these kinds of "general store" downtown shops that don't really seem to exist anymore, What can I say there IS something about Hensley's!!! My family are fans of Polacco's books, but this one did not live up to our expectations, My child found the fact that the store always had everything people needed to be a bit creepy it reminded me of Stephen King's Needful Things, But the characters of the children and their single mother was very sweet and well done, Grade range:
Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Such a great book! With a great moral as well! This books stresses the importance of being kind to others and trusting in them as well.
I really enjoyed reading aloud this book and would love to do it again! A good look at community when a new family moves into town and there is a medical emergency in the store.
Best part is the owner of the store,Mr, Soncrant, is a real person who, according to the author, has lived a life of helping and changing the lives of others, A very positive book. We love all of Patricia Polacco's books! This one is especially endearing in the way Mr, Hensley helps this sweet family support themselves, This is a sweet story about a store that has anything and everything that the people in Union City need and a nice old man who finds a way to make things better for the folks who live there.
The story is magical and we really enjoyed it and the illustrations are very typical for sitelinkPatricia Polacco's books,
But I have to admit that the entire time I read this story, I couldn't help but think of sitelinkNeedful Things by sitelinkStephen King, shudder I won't say that the memory of that book ruined this story for me, but it certainly made me think of the tale in a different light.
Of course, I didn't share that with our girls!
In any case, we have really enjoyed reading sitelinkPatricia Polacco's books and will look for more that we haven't yet read at our local library.
The neighborhood store, Hensley's, always has exactly what you need, Can Old John, the shopkeeper help, Molly and Kate's family make a better life
Tags: Stores, Retail Singleparent families A magical fable about a small general country store.
Anyone who has ever shopped at a beloved smalltown or local neighborhood store the nonchain, independent kind, with owners who actually work on the premises, and who know their customers by name will appreciate this picturebook tribute to one such store, and its role in the community.
Hensley's a Union City, Michigan store that always seemed to have everything was owned by Old John Soncrant, a generous, kindhearted man who, when he saw a singleparent family in trouble, decided to step in.
. .
I enjoyed Something About Hensley's, which has that combination of warmhearted, saltoftheearth characters, appealing story, and basis in fact like many of the author's books, it is based on real people that I have come to expect from Patricia Polacco's work.
That said, although I appreciated both the story and the illustrations, I don't think this will rank with my favorite Polacco books, Still, withpicturebooks under her belt, it's hard to see how every one could be the best! This is an "inspirational" picture book typical of Patricia Polacco, I liked the artwork, but I don't particularly care for Polacco's writing and slogged through the story,
This was a lengthy story about Old John at Hensley's and little magic perhaps, We enjoyed the story and can appreciate that sometimes it's just a mommy holding it together and we can always use a little magic now and then! Patricia Polacco has a magic story telling gift.
Every my toughest students who don't seem to enjoy story time get drawn into her stories, My students even gasped as the two girls were walking down the street and came across a kitten while having just what they needed to catch the kitten,
I started off telling my class how my husband's family lives in a very small town and everyone loves to go to The Merc, You find all sorts of cool things at The Merc, just like at Hensley's. This is a historical fiction book, The author says she is still loyal to Hensley's because of her great experiences there, At Hensley's Store, everyone finds everything they need, even if they don't know that they need it, When single mom, Mrs. McCafferty and her two daughters, Kate and Molly move into town, it is evident they don't have a lot of money and are struggling, But, at Hensley's they find that sometimes you don't need money to get what you're looking for,
Something About Hensley's brings us back down memory lane when neighbors really looked out for one another and lending a helping hand when one needed it most is worth everything.
Im a city person, but this is one of the few times I was drawn to a small community, I did love the old general stores from some of the places I spent my childhood, although none was as magical as the Hensleys described in this book, John Soncrant runs Hensleys and this book is rightly dedicated to him,
I love how I can now always recognize this authors appearances in her illustrations, from all periods of her life, Its fun to pick her out from amongst all the other people in the pictures,
Yes, I did cry, again, If I was an actress and needed to cry for a scene, Id simply pull out one of Polaccos books and read a couple of pages,
Old John is the “heart of that store” and he has a big heart, Polacco recounts the story of how he goes way out of his way to help one girl who has asthma, her sister, and her mother, and even a cat.
I love the illustrations there were quite a few pages I viewed several times, She really captures the goodness of this man, And oh, did it ever make me want some penny candy!
Yes, this is an idealized version of this community, store, and man, I am sure, but its inspiring and heartwarming if even a portion of it is the truth, and I believe thats the case.
Old John, Hensleys, and most of the people/characters in this book deserve a full five! Small town life with a general store that has everything that you needincluding help for a single mother with two daughters.
Sweet story. There's something about Hensley's! No matter what you need, that general store is sure to have it, It's almost magical the way the manager, Old John, seems to know what the townsfolk need before they do! But then a new family moves to town, The youngest child, Molly, has asthmabut her mother doesn't have money to treat her, or for anything else, But leave it to Old John to find a way to use Hensley's to give the family exactly what it needs, even if it can't be boxed or bagged.
A trueand truly movingstory about an unforgettable general store and about the extraordinary power one person's acts of kindness can have on another,
About the Author: Patricia Polacco lives in Union City, Michigan,
This book would be a great read aloud for Elementary students, Patricia Polacco's illustrations, as always, are a great addition to her stories, Through the plot Patricia Polacco allows readers to see the power of kindness and positivity through all of life's hard times, I really enjoyed this book and think readers of all ages could enjoy and appreciate it, I want to visit Hensley's! Whether it's possible that John Soncrant, who owns and operates Hensley's, could somehow know just what his patrons need is debatable, But anyone who's patronized a general store like histhe kind that used to be found in many rural outposts as well as in urban neighborhoods but seem to be fast disappearinghas probably come to find that those general stores had just about everything.In her usual inimitable style, this gifted storyteller provides several examples of Old John's ability to read his customers and figure out what they need, In particular she focuses on three new residents who have recently moved to the area and are experiencing financial challenges, Not only does Old John provide complimentary bags of candy, but he also trades fishing equipment for the older girl's medical care, helps their mother find a way to bring in extra income, and brings something in need of love into their lives.
By the time the story concluded, I was ready to believe that Old John could do anything and I wanted to visit his store, Based on the actual store and storekeeper, this story just might make readers believe in a little magic as well as restoring their faith in humanity, As usual, the artist uses pencils and markers to create her amazing illustrations that are filled with emotion and wonder as
well as age spots and wrinkles, Readers will want to check out the endpapers too since they feature Polacco herself interacting with Old John while walking her dogs, Not too long ago, our town had a Hensley's called John's Variety, The small American general store is truly missed,
Hensley's store has just the thing that each customer needs and Polacco uses it to write nice little vignettes, I thought there might be a relegious parallel forming, but the book is based on a real store and character, if you are a Polacco fan, this is pleasant, light Polacco fare, Patricia Polacco not only illustrates all her books, but writes the stories from her own life's experiences, This is a darling story about a general store owner, Mr, Hensley, and the magic he brings into the lives of the people in his small town, Mr. Hensley indeed is a friend of Polacco's and owns a quaint general store near her home, LOVE her books! I love learning about the people of Union City, Michigan, I must plan a mini road trip there, It's only.miles from Naperville. Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr.
Falker. She resides in Michigan. .