Keith Calabrese

It's the first day of kindergarten, and Lena has her outfit all picked out. The only problem is, her shoes are nervous. Lena's dad makes a few suggestions until they arrive at a solution: Lena's headband and shoes have a conversation (the headband is a good listener). The shoes aren't quite convinced, and it's time to go, so Lena warns them she might have to wear her slippers instead...and that does it. Lena's shoes get nervous again at school and make her walk slow, but not for long.

Color show more is used cleverly here, with important items (blue dress, yellow shoes, green headband) spotlighted and nearly everything else in black and white; the joyful schoolyard scene at the end shows all the kids in their own colorful outfits (including one in a wheelchair and one wearing glasses). Perfect for kids who are feeling a little nervous about the start of school, or any big change.

See also: Oliver and His Alligator by Paul Schmid, School's First Day of School by Adam Rex show less

Middle school classmates, a story-telling teacher, adults involved in children's lives and parents who negatively impact their kids are all thrown into the mix of small town life. Ernest is a smart kid without a clue, but because his father is the major employer in town other kids leave him alone. The bullies have no problem, however, picking on Winston, a boy with East Indian heritage. Ryan is a good kid, mowing lawn and other chores for an elderly neighbor. That neighbor lives across from show more Ernest's grandfather's house, who has recently died. Ernest promised his grandfather he would "take care of" the things left behind in his attic, but as he does so it seems to set off a chain of events that affects the lives of the whole town. Listening in at the town's wishing well, we see that everyone has their own private worries.
Mr. Earle, the teacher, sets the tone of the story in the early chapters during a class discussion about why we have folklore and legends: to "make sense of things people couldn't understand" (p.32), find a scapegoat when things go wrong, to scare kids to make them behave, and (later) "a shared history, a way to relate to each other." (p.298).
This is a book about hope, so of course all the problems we see are taken care of. And empowering our kids with hope that they can have a role in making the world a better place is not a bad thing. show less

It's Lena's first day of kindergarten and she's so excited to go. She picked out all of her favorite clothes to wear, but she has one problem: Lena's favorite shoes are nervous! Lena's dad suggests that they talk to the shoes, but Lena thinks that's silly because they're shoes. Lena's dad then asks how Lena's other clothes are feeling. Lena's socks were nervous too, but Lena's dress couldn't wait for kindergarten. So, Lena's dad suggests that Lena's dress should talk to Lena's shoes, but show more Lena doesn't think that's a very good idea because the two don't get along. Then Lena remembers that her headband could talk to the shoes because all of her clothes love her headband. The shoes are shy and embarrassed at first, but Lena encourages her shoes to use their words. The shoes finally tell the headband that the school is big, loud, and different, so they'd rather not go. Then the headband tells the shoes about all the times they were scared but decided to be brave together and how things still worked out, but Lena's shoes still weren't convinced. Lena then decides that she might have to go to kindergarten with her slippers instead until the shoes finally decide to be brave and go with Lena to her first day of kindergarten.

I really enjoyed this story and I think it would be great to read to younger students, especially on their first day of school. This book had me laughing, so I know the students would be laughing their butts off with this book. This is a book I'll definitely keep in mind when I become a teacher. show less

I Received an ARC from the author to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Whenever I approach a new book to review for middle grade students and my shelves at school I look at it through two different lenses. The first is that of a middle school teacher. Is this something that I would recommend to my fellow teachers? Is it a book I would recommend to my students and put on my shelves? Most importantly, is this a book that I can talk about with students because the show more message within is important? The second lens I look through is that of a grandparent. Is this a book that my grandchildren will enjoy and thus pass on to their teachers, and class-mates. This book goes above and beyond what I would normally recommend.

I have often spoke of the school I teach in. We are an IB school. We have several “Learner Profiles” that are a major part of our teachings. One of them is being “caring”. We require our students to complete community service in every grade. So, the idea that you have a group of students who set about to change the lives of people in their town made this a worth-while book. The book takes place in a small town named Cliffs Donnelly. Many of the major businesses in the town are closing. Two boys out exploring a tunnel realize, by accident, they have walked underneath the city’s wishing well. When they hear a class-mates wish a decision is made to help make it come true.

I loved that this book is told from multiple perspectives. I know that this will drive many people nuts. This has been their number one complaint of my own book. There are many more like me who love the different perspectives. I felt in this case it made the issues and secrets in the story, that are discovered within the town, more well-rounded. We learn that we can’t always judge a book, or bully by its cover. Things aren’t always what they seem. We also learn what one act of kindness can do and how it can be carried forward. These are lessons that we as teachers, parents, and grandparents want our kids to learn. There is no better way to learn this than through a book. I believe that many students will be able to relate to this book in a variety ways. I place this up there with one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I really can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

This book comes out February 26, just two days away. This is a must read book so get ready to get your copy. show less