Those Shoes

Title: Those Shoes

Author: Maribeth Boelts

Illustrator: Noah Z. Jones

Publisher: Candlewick (2009)

ISBN: 9780763642846

 

Those Shoes is a story of peer pressure and doing the right thing. Jeremy tells his grandmother he wants ‘those shoes’, a new pair of black shoes with white stripes. Her no-nonsense response leaves him wishing he had what his friends have. “There’s no room for ‘want’ around here – just ‘need’. And what you need are new boots for winter.” Jeremy is mortified when his old shoes fall apart and the school counsellor provides an unstylish replacement pair. Jeremy successfully searches a second-hand shop for a pair of ‘those shoes’. There is one problem, they are too small. After some contemplation, he passes the shoes to a young child who Jeremy realises needs them more than him