Stephanie Greene

Princess Posey is back in another sweet adventure. From her first days of first grade, faces the challenges and fears of a new school and new routines, Posey has progressed through the small triumphs and travails of school and is ready to tackle a new adventure.

Posey and her class are studying bees, which she loves. She also loves her classmate's special bee eraser. She doesn't love not being picked to be the queen bee and doesn't see why Caitlyn should have everything. In a moment of show more weakness, she takes the special bee eraser. What will she do now?

Sisson's gentle charcoal illustrations capture the small joys and sorrows that loom so large in Posey's life. Posey's struggle to be content with what she has, her mom's firm but kind lessons on not getting everything Posey wants. There's small dramas, emotions, and humor in this sweet, cheerful story.

While I would like to see more diversity pictured than just the make up of Posey's classroom, in general this is a pretty typical picture of the average classroom in our area and girls do relate to Posey's life and stories very strongly.

Verdict: I'm still regularly recommending this series to families who want the slice of life introduction to school but don't like the attitude or bad grammar of Junie B. Jones. I have no personal feelings either way myself, except for a private feeling that class clowns like Junie B. are annoying, but this series continues to offer a nice expansion of our collection.

ISBN: 9780399175688; Published 2017 by Putnam; Purchased for the library; Review copy provided by publisher show less

This has a really similar theme to the Heidi Heckelbeck book I was just looking at (last November - scheduling means my reviews are never chronological). They're both about a new girl coming into an established group of friends, although in this case Posey's coming from the established group viewpoint, rather than the new girl.

Posey is perfectly happy. She loves reading and is looking forward to getting into the highest group - blue dots. She has a marvelous pretend game to play - magic show more land. She can't wait to see her two friends at school. But when she arrives, there's a new girl! Grace has long hair like a princess. Grace has pretty yellow princess clothes. Grace sits on Posey's reading cushion and changes Posey's hopping game. Grace is stealing Posey's friends! The last straw comes when Grace tells Posey she has cow lips! It takes a little gentle help from their teacher to straighten things out and get everyone calmed down. Posey does some quiet thinking, especially when she finds out that Grace is in the bottom group for reading, and decides that maybe she does have room for a new friend; and she knows just how to make her new friend feel welcome.

I've loved Princess Posey since I saw her first adventure, Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade. I constantly recommend her to parents who are sick of Junie B. and little girls who want realistic stories with just a little sparkle to them. Princess Posey is an utterly realistic little girl. She's not perfect, she's not a brat, she's not the class clown, she's just a very ordinary little girl with likes and dislikes, friends, and her own little quirks and imaginative games. Stephanie Sisson's soft pencil drawings are a good addition to Princess Posey's cheerful world and her trials and triumphs.

Verdict: This is another beginning chapter series that is a must-have. Spot-on realistic and with gentle lessons that kids won't even realize they're absorbing while they enjoy reading about Posey and her friends. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780142427637; Published 2013 by Puffin/Penguin; Borrowed from the library show less

Princess Posey is back! We first met this charming and utterly real small girl in Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade where she was dealing with very normal fears about starting first grade. Now, Princess Posey is back and very excited about her beloved teacher’s upcoming birthday. She’s going to give her the most perfect present; a lovely bouquet of flowers she grew herself. But then she sees her best friend give the teacher a huge bouquet bought from a florist. How will Miss Lee show more know that Posey likes her best now?
Posey is a completely real first grader in her interactions with friends and family, her reactions, her hopes and fears. This adorable series steps away from the current fashion for quirky, hyperactive, and frankly annoying heroines (yes, I’m looking at YOU Junie B. Jones) and presents Posey as an Every Girl with everyday worries and delights that most little girls will understand and delight in.

Verdict: If you haven’t already bought the first Princess Posey book, add it to your collection now, along with this sweet but never saccharine sequel. A third Princess Posey book is coming out later this summer. I’m excited that both volumes are currently available in paperback so I can add them to my library’s series collection. A must have for every public and elementary school library.

ISBN: 9780399254628; Published March 2011; Review copy provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter 2011; Purchased for my library. show less

This is a very cute book and a very good Halloween read for kids. After coming off of a bad children's Halloween book, this is a breath of fresh air.

Posey is an adorable and relatable little girl. She is curious and she likes school and she has the kinds of fears young children might have at Halloween. She is a little teased by boys in her class and wants to be seen as brave.

Overall, this is a quick read, and makes a good transition book from picture books to chapter books. It is simple show more and straightforward, with a nice story. I would highly recommend this one for young readers for the Halloween season. show less