Our Great Big Backyard

Bibliography: Bush, L. W., Parisi, A., & Bush, J. (2016). Our great big backyard. HarperCollins.

Book Summary: The summer is coming and Jane has already made plans with her friends, plans that mainly consist of Wi-Fi, watching movies, social media entertainment, and playing video games. Jane become very upset at her parents when they inform her that they have decided to go on a road trip for the summer in order to enjoy the great outdoors. Jane is extremely upset and forcefully goes on the trip with her parents. At first, Jane does not seem to be interested in any of the scenery or family activities; she only wants to be on her tablet. As the days continue passing, little by little Jane begins to enjoy all of the special places her family visits. She even starts getting along with her little brother whom she usually finds annoying. Towards the end of the road trip, Jane completely forgets about Wi-Fi, phones, and tablets and enjoys her vacations to the fullest. When she gets home, she camps out with her friends in her own backyard to talk about all of the amazing places she visited and how much fun she had.

Critical Analysis: This story is amazing! I had never read a book that talked about Wi-Fi in a story. I enjoyed seeing how Jane slowly but surely started to put down her electronic devices and actually started having a good time with her family. I believe this book should be read to and by student of all ages. Now a days we are so caught up on social media and the internet that we forget to enjoy life. As a parent myself, I can relate to Jane’s parents and very much enjoyed how they encouraged their children to enjoy the great outdoors for a change.