Roxaboxen

To everyone else, Roxaboxen looked like any other rocky desert hill, plentiful with sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, prickly cactus and thorny ocotillo - but to Marian and her friends, it was a special place. Their own private little world, a place where their imaginations could run wild. To them, it boasted a handsome Main Street, edged with shiny white stones, a network of houses (one for each child playing), two ice cream shops, even a cemetery where they honored fallen lizards. 

All you needed to get there was a long stick to gallop and a colorful imagination.

Loosely based on the real life memories of author Alice McLerran’s grandmother, Roxaboxen is a true gem and a favorite read aloud. My second graders loved this one year after year. I was always sure to read it right before recess to sparks their imaginations, and listened closely to how it changed and inspired their play.