When Auggie Learned to Play Chess by Meredith Rusu, Stephen Costanza
ISBN: 0593710819
Genres: Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

When Auggie Learned to Play Chess

Meredith Rusu & Stephen Costanza

This is a heartfelt picture book, for ages 4-8, about a boy named Auggie, a shy kid whose dad teaches him how to play chess. Learning the game gives Auggie the confidence to make a new friend.

Auggie and his family have recently moved to a new house in a new town, and Auggie is struggling to make friends at his new school. When Auggie finds an old chessboard that once belonged to his grandfather, he decides he wants to learn how to play chess from his father, his Tatâ. Eventually and with practice, Auggie gets so good at the game that he can beat Tata!

Then, Auggie finds a chessboard in his classroom during a rainy recess. When he sees that another boy looks interested in it, he knows just what to do: he can teach Luke how to play chess, too!

This is not only a touching father-son story about the importance of perseverance, but it is also a great way to teach chess to new players; the book contains illustrations about how each of the chess pieces move so that readers can learn the game along with Auggie. This book depicts how life lessons can be taught through a game of chess but would also be applicable to video games (perhaps more appealing to a younger audience) involving strategy, planning, patience, risk-taking, and connecting with others.

5 stars

Reviewed by Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay