Reviews for Donavan's word jar

The average rating for Donavan's word jar based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-07-26 00:00:00 Brandon Galloway Monalisa DeGross was never a full-time writer. A staple of the children's public library scene in Baltimore, Maryland, she only authored a few books, the first being Donovan's Word Jar in 1994. Third-grader Donovan Allen wants to be a collector, but isn't sure what he should collect until the morning he notices a long, unfamiliar word on a box of cereal: "nutrition." Donovan likes how the word elegantly leaps off the tip of his tongue. He spots other interesting words on the way to school, and decides to become a word collector. Whenever a new one grabs his attention, he jots it down on a slip of paper and pops it into a jar, looking up the meaning first. Donovan's collection grows as he adds words from street signs, newspapers, and elsewhere. One day he goes to deposit a word in his jar, only to find it brimming with paper slips. He wants to continue collecting, but wouldn't dream of removing any of his words. What's a young lexicographer to do? Donovan's mom suggests a bigger jar, but that would only be a temporary fix. What happens when he fills that one? His schoolteacher, Mrs. Panky, recommends that Donovan compile a dictionary to house his expanding collection, but it will be years before he has the resources to publish a reference book. Donovan consults his dad, who is painting a sign in the basement for the roofing business he's about to open. Preoccupied as he is, he mulls over Donovan's dilemma before offering a solution, but it's not quite the right one. Maybe Grandma will know what to do. Yes, Donovan will visit Grandma at the Mellow View Apartments to get her take on the issue. He's ready to head over the next morning, but his mom needs Donovan home today. His little sister Nikki is sick in bed, and their parents are too busy for the next few hours to take care of her. Donovan resigns himself to big-brother duty, trying to distract Nikki from how crummy she feels, but what she really wants is something Donovan has so far refused: a peek inside his word jar. She promises not to keep any words, or do them harm, so Donovan reluctantly retrieves his jar from the shelf high in his room and presents it to Nikki to randomly draw a slip of paper from. Are there "get-well" words in there, as Nikki hopes? She pulls out "ABRACADABRA" and Donovan pantomimes some prestidigitation as a clue for her to figure out the word's meaning. A little magic can zap cold symptoms into oblivion, Donovan claims, and Nikki says she already feels better. She knew his jar could do the trick. A late start over to Grandma's apartment is better than no start at all. Donovan liked her old house better, back when Grandpop was alive, though at least she lives close now. Most residents of the Mellow View Apartments are elderly, and their apathy for life makes Donovan uneasy. He hopes it never rubs off on Grandma, or himself. Grandma invites him into her cozy apartment with its wall of family photos and hodgepodge of collectibles. He presents the problem of his word jar, but she isn't sure what to do about it. Disappointed, Donovan almost leaves the building before remembering he was supposed to invite her to dinner at his house, but when he and Grandma head back down to the lobby, he's in for a surprise. His word jar! Donovan forgot it in the lobby when he ran back up to invite Grandma. Several apartment residents are examining its contents, passing the slips of paper among themselves. What does Donovan think of strangers handling his collection? Even Grandma is concerned at the sight of her neighbors and the gruff security guard, Mr. Bill Gut, pawing through Donovan's beloved words. It takes a moment for Donovan to see the scene with unbiased eyes: a group of elderly men and women, usually listless and fatigued, are suddenly showing vigor. Donovan's words have reminded them how fun it is to engage with fresh thoughts and reminisce on experiences they have in common. Perhaps the solution to his overcrowded jar is in front of him, if he's willing to rejigger his expectations. Language is a fertile valley of variegated words that can be harvested and enjoyed like sweet strawberries, crisp apples, refreshing cucumbers, or savory tomatoes. Writers use words to reveal life's joys and sorrows, the glorious pungency of human story that connects our hearts through shared emotions and experience, but you don't have to be a storyteller to leverage the potency of words: a simple, sincere expression of kindness, encouragement, intellectual stimulation, or personal challenge can transform another person's outlook, feeding their hopes and dreams or spurring them on to make changes they know they should have made long ago. Donovan realizes this when he sees the effect his word jar has on the apartment dwellers. "But, Donnie, they didn't give you anything for your words", Grandma gently reminds him. Donovan understands this isn't true. "Yes, they did. They made me feel like a magician. My words changed them." Who could hope for more than the privilege of your words doing good in the world? It's not the slips of paper that make Donovan's word jar special, but the potential for what's written on them to bless others. Words are like pure water from an underground well: not meant to be hoarded, but drunk from deeply and freely shared, trusting that it will refill. Donovan will find more words for his jar, and when it overflows, giving them away again will feel just as satisfying. Labeling Donovan's Word Jar a classic is a stretch, but the story is packed with simple truth expressed memorably, a love song to why words mean so much to us. It's hard to let go something you have invested time and energy into, but when the moment comes for Donovan to reassess his word jar, he has the wisdom to not be so fixated on the physical collection that he misses the point of gathering words in the first place. We would do well to abide by his example. Cheryl Hanna's illustrations are warm and affectionate, reminiscent of Leo and Diane Dillon's award-winning work, and they suit the story to a T. Monalisa DeGross penned a sequel, Donovan's Double Trouble, so if you'd like to revisit these characters and their author, you have that opportunity. I rate Donovan's Word Jar two and a half stars, but I'll round to three. It's a small delight of a novel, and I'm better for having read it.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-04-21 00:00:00 Jason Sung Donavan collects words. He finds them everywhere and writes them on slips of paper he keeps in his word jar. He discovers the power of words when he offers them to others. Second or third grade novel. Engages readers and emphasizes the power of learning - specifically words and their definitions.