The Night Before First Grade

Penny is embarking on her first day of 1st grade. She is excited and very prepared. She even coordinates her outfit to match that of her best friend, Jen. On the very first day of school, Penny is split apart from her friend because the school acquires extra students. Penny's friend is in the other classroom now. Penny makes a new friend and is excited to introduce her to her best friend, Jen. Jen has found a new friend as well who turns out to be the twin sister of Penny's new friend. They all have a great time, and Penny says she can have double the fun.

I thought this story was so cute, and I loved the personality of Penny. We all go through disappointment sometimes. Penny thought she'd be sad because of her best friend going into a show more new classroom, but she put herself out there and made her situation even better. I think this is a great lesson for young readers. As I was reading this story, the song about making new friends but keeping the old popped into my head. There is always someone out there who needs a friend, and we can learn from Penny. I liked the ending and how something unexpectedly amazing came out of an initially upsetting situation. This is a great book. show less

This is a rhyming book very similar to "The Night Before Christmas". It follows the story of Penny, who is about to start first grade with her best friend. This book is perfect to read to first graders on the first day -- can kids make connections to how Penny was feeling throughout her day? The book includes a great depiction of how a typical first grader might feel on his or her first day, especially with wanting to be in the same class as a familiar face--a friend. The end of the story offers a fun twist for kids! I thought this was a cute story, but thought it could have included more emphasis on all the different emotions Penny was feeling to make it more relatable to real life students.

As part of a project for a college course on children's literature, a group of us visited an elementary school and read this book to a small group of first-graders, who seemed to enjoy it very much. They also enjoyed discussing it afterward, and I really think that they, having just begun the first grade themselves, were able to identify with the characters. The book, which is part homage to and part parody of Clement C. Moore's famous poem, tells of some students who begin first grade and make new friends. The story is believable, and the characters themselves are both realistic and memorable. The words are accompanied by vivid illustrations.

The Night Before First Grade is an interesting and very relate-able book for children in kindergarten and for the beginning of first grade. I liked this book because it gives the children something to relate their real life experiences to. Not only did it show Penny going to her first day of first grade, but it also showed her being separated from her best friend. It also shows children that it's okay to have more than one friend and that they can all be friends instead of keeping their friendships separate. Additionally I enjoyed how the book was written to follow the same rhyme as Twas the Night Before Christmas. It uses the familiarity of the rhyme to draw interest into what is happening in the story and to hold interest in it. The show more big idea of this book is to show children that even though going to school for the first time may be scary, it can actually be really fun. Also it shows them that they cam meet new people and make new friends who may even like some of the same things they do. show less

In my opinion, “The Night Before First Grade” is a wonderful book for a child who is about to enter first grade. The book completely grabs the attention of the reader because it mimics the famous story, “The Night Before Christmas,” and it is also a poetry book. For example, the story opens by stating, “Twas the night before first grade. I kissed my dog Clover. School is starting tomorrow because summer is over.” In this story, the main character expressed the same sort of excitement about school that a child typically expresses about Christmas morning. The plot is organized and predictable because it mimics the Christmas tale. The child in the story speaks in the same way as the narrator in “The Night Before Christmas.” show more This story also mirrors the poetic rhythm as the beloved Christmas story. The charming illustrations display cheerful colors and students of different cultures. The big idea is that the first day of school is something that all children should be excited about and not something to be scared about. show less

In my opinion, The Night Before First Grade is a great book. One of the reasons I liked this book is because of the language. The author uses a rhyming scheme throughout the story, which adds an element of fun and predictability to the story. For example, the author writes, “We both have pet turtles and love turquoise blue. And pistachio ice cream is her favorite too,” which rhymes blue and two. Every page in the book follows the rhyming scheme. I also liked that the authors writing is organized after The Night Before Christmas. The author writes about visions of jungle gyms dancing in the main character’s head and seeing events occur in her wondering eyes. I also liked the character because she was very believable. She was very show more excited to enter the first grade, but grew weary when separated from her best friend, which is something that happens to everyone when they enter school. The big idea of this book is that although trying new things alone can be intimidating, but great things can come from it, such as a new friendship. show less

This book is awesome for kids who are getting ready to start first grade. First grade is a huge step in kids lives and it makes them feel like big kids! Because of this, kids are going to be very nervous for their first day of first grade. This book gives an insight of what first grade will be like, showing kids its not scary. Students will learn about scenarios that may take place within their first day of first grade, but they will also learn how to overcome obstacles and realize that at the end of the day, first grade is an awesome place to be.