Cursive letters are written on a chalkboard. Recently, my 8-year-old son received a birthday card from his grandmother. He opened the card, looked at it and said, “I can’t read cursive yet.” ...

If you, like so many adults educated in the past few decades, do more “connected printing” than graceful cursive, and you want to give learning cursive a try, this is the book ideal.

Hooks, 12, who had limited experience in cursive before she was cast for the film, has a new-found appreciation for the skill. “It took me awhile to get [cursive writing],” Hooks said.