Happy School Year! - Susan Milord
A great way to address kids' first-day jitters.
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Book details
- Author:Susan Milord
- # of pages: 40
- Publisher:Scholastic Press
- Original Publication Date: 07/01/2008
- Genre: Fiction - School
- Hardcover: $15.99
- Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: 4-8
- Read Aloud: 4
- Read Alone: 7
Parents need to know
Parents need to know that the upbeat message of this book speaks directly to kids, with no silly frills or tricky messages. This is a good book to springboard into a discussion of first-day jitters and what kids might expect when they go to the first grade, or any new grade, for the first time.
Families can talk about how they feel about going to school on the first day, at any age. Are they excited? scared? Do they feel like the kids in the book? Do they spring out of bed or hide under the covers? How do different kids get ready? How do you get ready at your house? What do you think about the celebration? How did it change the way the kids felt? Why? Do you think your teacher will do something special on the first day? What do you think it will be like? What are your special wishes for the school year?
Families can talk about how they feel about going to school on the first day, at any age. Are they excited? scared? Do they feel like the kids in the book? Do they spring out of bed or hide under the covers? How do different kids get ready? How do you get ready at your house? What do you think about the celebration? How did it change the way the kids felt? Why? Do you think your teacher will do something special on the first day? What do you think it will be like? What are your special wishes for the school year?
Message
Social Behavior:
Kids help one another, parents and teachers help kids, everyone is friendly and smiling; multi-ethnic and multi-aged.
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Violence
Sex
Language
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Patricia Tauzer
All over town kids get ready for the first day of school. Many are nervous and scared. But a First Day Celebration reminds them of their dreams and wishes, and nerves turn to excitement as they sing "Happy School year to us."
Is it any good?
Most of us remember our first day of school, and exactly how we felt. Of course, facing firsts of any kind makes most of us feel nervous, and excited, all at the same time. And we often feel like we are the only one to feel so jittery and scared. But, what can we do about it? In HAPPY SCHOOL YEAR! the school staff has come up with a solution. By celebrating the new year, much like a birthday party, with cupcakes, candles, and special wishes, they bring students together with parents and staff into one big community. And together, they celebrate the adventures to come in the new school year, and they also show that school can be a fun-loving and supportive place.
All ages and ethnicities are represented here as are different ways of approaching life. Some kids spring to life in the morning, dress themselves, and scurry into breakfast with their families; others burrow deeper under the covers and need a little help getting underway. Also, different kids feel differently as they arrive at the school. Older, experienced kids look eager and excited, while the new first graders seem nervous and a bit overwhelmed. And their expressive eyes, though simply dots under eyebrow lines, clearly and simply tell the tale. Everyone is getting ready for the first day of school, and no one knows exactly what to expect.
Other choices
More Back-to-School Reading:
The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing
Charlie's First Day in First Grade by Janice Savage
First Grade, Here I Comeby Nancy Carlson
First Grade Stinks! by Mary Ann Rodman
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
Related Web Sites:
First Day Foundation
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