Back to School

Patsy Pig has guaranteed the principal that she can teach Ms. Klingensmith’s first-grade class how not to be rude in time for Parents Open House. But after a couple of days of effort, Patsy throws up her arms. What she fears will be a disaster, however, ends up being a big success. The night of Open House, Miss Klingensmith’s students turn into angels with model manners. Although this is a book about manners, it isn’t your usual “please” and “thank you” version. Patsy teaches the students about meeting and greeting guests, introducing themselves and others, serving refreshments, and making conversation.

Standardized testing has hit Miss Malarkey’s class. And in spite of being assured that “The Test,” the IPTU (the Instructional Performance Through Understanding test), isn’t important, the kids can see that the teachers, the principal, and even their parents are acting more than a little weird. By exaggerating the seriousness of testing Finchler creates a hilarious story. Amusing illustrations and funny speech balloons add to the entertainment. Use as a read-aloud in the midst of test preparations to break up tension for both you and students!

Before school, Horace finds a small toy truck on the playground and keeps it. When he plays with the truck during snack time, a classmate, Walter, yells that the truck is his. Horace lies to his teacher. That night he also lies to his mother. After a troubled night, Horace is too “sick” to go to school. He receives get-well letters from his classmates — even one from Walter. Walter offers Horace an opportunity to return the truck with no hard feelings. This important topic, not often found in picture books, is handled sensitively. This book naturally opens discussion about how it feels to make a bad choice and why one bad choice can lead to others. More importantly, it deals with forgiveness and positive ways to handle a mistake.

When it’s time to send a child off to school for the very first time, it’s hard to say who is the most anxious about it—the parent or the child. Both will appreciate the sweet and gentle message in The Kissing Hand, a softly illustrated picture book.

A gifted paraplegic teacher and four extremely bright and diverse students work towards the same goal, winning the Academic Bowl. In the process they learn important lessons about kindness and respect. This book is made up of four short stories, each told from the perspective of one of the students. Each of the sections is woven into the larger story of how these four students and their teacher were able to sweep the competition.

Like Joey Pigza, Bradley Chalkers doesn’t fit in with the other kids in his fifth-grade class. For one thing, he’s the oldest. He’s also a liar and an attention-seeking bully. Many students have a “Bradley” in their own classrooms. Hopefully they will see that friendship and understanding go a long way toward helping kids like Bradley triumph over their own obstacles.

Cole has been getting into trouble most of his life. But when he viciously beats and injures a classmate, he chooses “Circle Justice,” an alternative sentencing program based on Native American tradition, to determine his punishment. Sent to a remote Alaskan island where he must spend a year alone, Cole eats worms and rodents and is seriously injured by a bear. He survives, but in the process he learns about controlling anger and the fact that he can change both physically and spiritually.