Visits to great-grandparents can reveal a lot about children, and about the great-grandparent. In The Matchbox Diary, a young girl meets her great-grandfather for the first time. As she explores his library full of collections, he invites her to choose something and he will tell her about it.
She chooses a cigar box full of old matchboxes, and asks what is in them.
It’s her great-grandfather’s diary – full of stories from his life. As she pulls the matchboxes out of the cigar box, he tells the story surrounding the object inside.
This beautiful story by Paul Fleischman may inspire the children in your life to learn more about their grandparents or great-grandparents. It may also inspire children to start their own diary. The intricate illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline tell Fleischman’s story in pictures.
Highly recommended for ages 3 through 10.
Cultivating Readers 
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