Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten - Hardcover

Ransom, Candice

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399554556 ISBN 13: 9780399554551

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2017

Synopsis

Kindergarten has never been funnier with Amanda Panda--a hilarious, strong-willed new student who is about to take her school by storm--in this perfect back-to-school read!

Amanda Panda has BIG ideas for her first day of school. But when things don’t go according to plan, and when a pesky girl in a pink bow decides to be her best friend, she walks out on kindergarten and joins her brother in second grade. It takes an unlikely partner to fix Amanda’s terrible day—and to teach her about friendship, tolerance, and how to cope with life’s ups and downs.
 
Amanda Panda perfectly captures the spirit, motivations, and humor of a headstrong five-year-old girl—and will be sure to soothe back-to-school jitters.

About this title

About the Author

CANDICE RANSOM only ever wanted to be a children's book writer. She is the author of over 125 books for kids and young adults, including Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten, and teaches in the children's literature program at Hollins University. Candice lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with her husband and her cats, Faulkner and Edison. Visit her at www.candiceransom.com.

CHRISTINE GROVE is the illustrator of Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten, Esme's Egg, and Maddie the Mitzvah Clown. Christine especially enjoys creating children's book characters. (After a bit of sketching they take on a life of their own and are kind enough to let her get to know them.) She lives near Atlanta, surrounded by her treasured collection of Derwent 2H graphic pencils.

Reviews

PreS-K—Amanda Panda is filled with excitement about starting kindergarten and has her entire first day planned. She will write her name in big, important letters on the blackboard and then wow the whole class by being the fastest runner. But as so often happens in life, things do not go exactly as she envisioned. On the bus, she is forced to sit next to Bitsy, a girl whose favorite color is "sparkles" and who seems intent on becoming Amanda's friend. Amanda does not feel like being kind and ignores this exuberant panda in pink. As if that isn't vexing enough, Bitsy proceeds to sit next to her in class, Amanda's block tower collapses in epic fashion, and worst of all; she trips during a race at recess. This is the end of the world, concludes Amanda, who decides to quit kindergarten and sneak off her to older brother's classroom. In no time at all, she realizes that the older grades don't have any of the kindergarten perks; the chairs are too big, the room is too quiet and worst of all, there is no building center. When Bitsy comes searching for her in tears, Amanda realizes she has made a true friend. And guess what? It isn't the end of the world after all. Grove's illustrations are the perfect medium for this story and she captures the young pandas' emotions expertly. Ransom has delivered a funny and relatable tale about how even when things don't go according to plan; they can still turn out okay. VERDICT Filled with droll humor that begs to be read aloud, this is an excellent back-to-school purchase and a great fit for storytime.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI

Edition details

• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399554556
• ISBN 13: 9780399554551
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Grove Christine
• Number of pages: 32