First Grade Stinks!

by Mary Ann Rodman, Beth Spiegel (Illustrator)

Overview

This back-to-school tale is a humorous and relatable read for rising first graders and young children facing new experiences.

It's the first day of school, and Hayley is excited. Things are different now. She's a first grader!

Hayley quickly finds out that first grade is different from kindergarten, but in all the wrong ways. The classroom isn't as bright and colorful. Ms. Gray doesn't seem to smile as much as her kindergarten teacher did, and there isn't enough time to play outside. Finally, Hayley has had enough. "First grade stinks!" she shouts. And fortunately, her compassionate teacher completely understands.

Young readers will immediately empathize with Hayley as she struggles to find enthusiasm for her new school year.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561454624
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	09/02/2008
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	406,261
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mary Ann Rodman is a former school media specialist and the author of picture books and middle grade novels. She has received both the Ezra Jack Keats Award for Outstanding New Picture Book Writer and the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She lives in Georgia.

Beth Spiegel has edited award-winning documentary programs for television and directed animated films that have received several international awards. She lives in California.

Editorial Reviews

"Ink sketches filled in with splashy watercolors depict a worried, increasingly frazzled Haley as she copes with new challenges in a busy, active classroom. An important book for kids making a pretty tough transition." —Booklist

"Perfect as a read-aloud. . . a spot-on depiction of teachers helping kids through rough patches." —School Library Journal

★ "Rodman handles the turmoil of school transitions with realism and humor. A good jumping-off book for discussions about differences and change." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Rodman's witty take on the harsh realities of first grade, as perceived by those in the trenches, will tickle readers' funny bones. . . . For young readers approaching this or any other significant transition with trepidation, Rodman's humorous tale serves as a gentle reminder to search for the silver lining." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Nothing can measure up to a beloved kindergarten experience, as the spirited, pig-tailed narrator in this story resolutely comes to believe during her first day of first grade. Haley and her friend Ryan pride themselves on being big kids now. "Little kids stand at the school door, holding their parents' hands. Not Ryan and me. We walk into school all by ourselves." Haley's puffed-up feelings soon deflate, however. Her new teacher, Ms. Gray, gives them only a "tiny smile. Not a sunny-morning smile" like their kindergarten teacher's. The walls are bare, the work is hard and there's only one recess instead of two. "No share time? No dragon kite? No smiley teacher in a daffodil shirt? First grade stinks!" Haley reasons. The pacing of the first-person narration coupled with Spiegel's (Rosa's Room) winsome watercolors keeps this lively tale on track. Comedic spot illustrations contrast Haley's fond remembrances of kindergarten with her disgruntled feelings about first grade. With the help of an understanding Ms. Gray, Haley soon starts to see the up side of being a first-grader. Rodman (My Best Friend) handles the turmoil of school transitions with realism and humor. A good jumping-off book for discussions about differences and change. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 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's When Will I Read? (Dell, 1996). Pair it with Kevin Henkes's Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (HarperCollins, 1996) for a spot-on depiction of teachers helping kids through rough patches.-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Rodman's witty take on the harsh realities of first grade, as perceived by those in the trenches, will tickle readers' funny bones. On her first day of school, Haley is aghast at the appalling conditions of first grade: classroom walls devoid of any decorations, the absence of a second recess and chocolate shortages in the lunchroom, caused by none other than the kindergarten class. After the splendor and orange-colored sky wonder of kindergarten with Miss Lacy, Haley feels overcome by the relentless ordinariness of the aptly named Ms. Gray and the apparent tediousness of the first-grade curriculum. However, after an outburst of titanic proportions, Haley soon discovers Ms. Gray's cozier side and learns that hard work often reaps wondrous rewards. Spiegel's ink-and-watercolor, cartoon-style illustrations perfectly capture the quirky independence of young Haley, who refuses to go quietly into first grade. For young readers approaching this or any other significant transition with trepidation, Rodman's humorous tale serves as a gentle reminder to search for the silver lining. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews