Doreen's unexpected cross-cultural journey absorbs readers

"I couldn't stop crying.  I cried harder and harder.  My nose was running.  But I couldn't stop long enough to wipe it.  What was I going to do?  What was going to happen to me?"

Doreen, a young Gypsy girl, has just narrowly escaped the police again, running as far and fast as she could, only to end up hopelessly lost and alone with a badly bleeding gash in her leg.  No wonder she's crying and scared to death.  Anyone would be.

In Gypsy in the Cellar – the captivating new Historical Fiction title in Perfection Learning’s Cover-To-Cover Novels series, Doreen reveals her honest, heart-felt account of how she not only survives her dangerous predicament, but, also transforms her entire way of looking at the world - for the better.  Perfect for students in grades 4-8 who read at level 2.4, Doreen's compelling cross-cultural adventure is laden with real-life lessons about the:

•  value of tolerance and appreciation for other cultures;
•  dangers of hate;
•  healing power of love and kindness;
•  importance of determination in school;
•  strength in community;
•  difficulty in living separated from society;
•  beauty in sharing special talents with the world.

At first readers are sure to sympathize with Doreen and her precarious existence, but, along the way, they'll develop respect for her unwavering faith in not only herself, but also her new foster mothers, teacher and classmates - even if they are gajos (white people).  The wealth of information about Doreen's Gypsy culture, its life-style, traditions, and legends is sure to fascinate curious readers too. 

As with all of Perfection Learning's Cover-to-Cover Novels, Gypsy in the Cellar comes with Portals to Reading reproducible Teacher Resources to help students develop word attack skills, creative skills, comprehensive skills, and spelling and vocabulary.  Plus, Student Notebooks feature challenging activities that suggest assessment opportunities while improving critical-thinking skills, independent learning, and more.

Bonnie Highsmith Taylor is also the author of Perfection Learning's Cover-to-Cover Historical Fiction Novels, Tall Shadow:  A Navajo Boy and Kodi's Mare.