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The New Bear at School (by Carrie Weston)

common sense media says

Cuddly bear tale about fitting in at a new school.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sweet book has a good message and absolutely nothing offensive. Even the school bullies come in the form of rather cute swashbuckling rats.

Positive messages: Classroom learns not to judge by appearances.
Violence & scariness: School bullies are in the form of (rather cute) swashbuckling rats.
Language: Not applicable.
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More on The New Bear at School

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about what leads us to judge by appearances. Perhaps parents have a story of when they, too, judged a book by its cover only to learn that they nearly missed the opportunity to make a new friend.

What's the story?

What's the story?
Boris is a very big, very furry, very scary-looking grizzly bear and so he has a tough time making friends. Things are made worse when he makes several blunders on his first day of school -- breaking a chair, tearing a book, and accidentally scaring his classmates. Will they be able to see past his appearance to the lovable bear who lies underneath? When the school bullies arrive on the playground, Boris gets the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his classmates.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
While this is a predictable book for parents who have likely read versions of this story many times before, kids will get a kick out of Boris' trials and will be surprised and pleased by the final outcome. Even the bullies are swashbuckling rats who add excitement without ever crossing the line to real worry. The pictures could undermine the idea that anyone could possibly be scared of Boris -- he's just adorable -- but he is convincingly big and the other animal classmates are dwarfed in comparison.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Carrie Weston
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: July 1, 2008
Number of pages: 32
Hardcover price: $12.99
Read Aloud: 4
Read Alone: 8
This review was written by Dawn Friedman
 
 

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
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