First Grade Stinks!
PreSchool-Grade 1–On her first day of first grade, Haley discovers that the routines are much different and decidedly less fun than kindergarten. She gets only one recess, no sharing time, a room without the familiar decorations, a teacher who is less demonstrative than her beloved Ms. Lacy, and, worst of all, a read-aloud that isn't even finished. Each time Haley discovers another difference she mutters to herself, First grade stinks! Finally, a gentle reprimand for whispering sends Haley into a full-blown meltdown, screaming her mantra of frustration aloud to the entire class. When she lists her complaints to her teacher, Ms. Gray explains about chapter books and reassures her that soon she will be reading them on her own. With her eyes opened to the possibilities ahead, Haley decides that first grade is great. The scratchy, fluid, full-color watercolor-and-ink illustrations feature plenty of white space. Perfect as a read-aloud, this book is a worthy successor to Miriam Cohen'sWhen Will I Read?(Dell, 1996). Pair it with Kevin Henkes'sLilly's Purple Plastic Purse(HarperCollins, 1996) for a spot-on depiction of teachers helping kids through rough patches.–Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.