Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

From Goodreads,

"Perfect for fans of Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan, Saving Winslow is an uplifting modern classic in the making about a young boy who befriends an ailing newborn donkey and nurses him back to health, from New York Times bestseller and Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech.

Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.

Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie's bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Written in the spirit of Creech favorites Moo and Love That Dog, this standout tale about love and friendship and letting go will tug at the heartstrings."

Goodreads - Saving Winslow

I ordered this book through Scholastic.  Upon receiving my box I realized that this book was missing.  They sent me an e-mail and said that the book was on back order and that they would send it as soon as they had more in stock.  After school started I received the book in the mail.  I had some spare time while my kids ate snack and decided to start reading it.  As I read, my students would sit staring at me, mesmerized as I read to them.  It was the most amazing spectacle to see a group of kids so focused and interested in a book.

Saving Winslow is about a baby donkey that is quite sickly after it is born on Uncle Pete's farm.  Uncle Pete takes the baby donkey to his nephew Louie who decides he is going to save the poor donkey.  Louie names the baby donkey Winslow and vows to make sure he survives.  While he is trying to keep the baby donkey alive he continues to miss his brother Gus who is in the Army.  As time progresses Louie continues to miss his brother, but he also gets to experience Winslow growing up and going through firsts.  The book comes to an exciting climax as neighbors start complaining about Winslow being in the neighborhood.

Not only is this book adorable, it has a wonderful message about hard work, determination, and perseverance.  Everyone told Louie that the baby donkey was going to die, but Louie was determined to make it live.  He wanted to make sure that the donkey thrived the same way that he had as a baby.  Everyone around him continued to tell him how hard it was going to be to raise a baby donkey, but Louie still persevered and put in the hard work.  I think this is a wonderful message for kids.  They need to learn that if they want something bad enough they just have to be determined, put in the hard work, and persevere when it gets hard.

One thing that I didn't like about this book is the mystery of Louie's brother Gus.  We know that he is away in the Army and that Louie misses him.  But we don't know if he is gone to training or if he is gone to war.  There was a lot of mystery surrounding him and I felt like we just lacked information about him.  I think that my students would have enjoyed this book more if Gus had come home at the end of the book instead of Louie just getting a letter saying he was coming home.  My students and I wanted more closure with Gus and Louie and their relationship. 

Overall, this was a wonderful book.  My students really enjoyed it and they were sad when it ended.  I passed it on to another class and hope that they take the time to read it.  I give this 5 stars and recommend this to young students and to teachers.