Something Good

Munsch, R. (1990). Something Good. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press, LTD.

Brief Annotation: Tyya goes grocery shopping with her father and two siblings. She is never happy with what he putting in the cart, so goes off on her own loading a cart with ice cream and candy bars. Her father finally has enough, and tells her to stay put until he is done shopping. A store worker thinks she is a doll, prices her, and puts her on a shelf, where she is nearly purchased twice. When her father is done, they check out, and have to pay $29.95 to take Tyya home.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: Pre-K to Grade 3

Readers who will like this: Readers who enjoy going to the grocery store will love to read about Tyya’s adventure on this particular trip.

Response/Rating (1-4): I would rate the book a 4. It is the extreme of a normal grocery experience with children along. The parent has a mission to focus on the list and get out as soon as possible. The children want you to buy things that are not healthy and are not on the list. The characters played this role beautifully, and then the father got fed up which is when Tyya’s troubles begin.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: What do you think “good” food refers to?