Great Balloon Race: A Geography Adventure

1. Author: Amy Axelrod
2. Title: Great Balloon Race: A Geography Adventure
3. Illustrator: Tim Bowers
4. Genre: Fiction (Picture)
5. Subgenre: Balloon Racing/Adventure
6. Theme: Taking risks can have great rewards
7. Characters: Primary = Issac, Molly, Jake (No secondary characters)
8. Award/Date: No Award/2000
9. Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
10. Summary: Jake, Issac, and Molly are news reporters that decide to go to Texas to cover a balloon racing event. When they get there, Molly surprises the boys by telling them they'll be part of the race while recording. Although scared at first, Issac managers to grab the ring and win them the race while still reporting. This book is excellent for students! First of all, it has adventure! Most kids love adventure stories. Secondly, the characters are actually dogs, and many students love animals; therefore, many of them will be more drawn to it. Finally, at the end of the book, it asks geography-related questions that will help promote learning. Although all of those things are important, I think the best thing is that this story teaches a child that everyone gets scared sometimes, but taking risks can be extremely rewarding like it was for Issac.