Off to First Grade - Hardcover

Borden, Louise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689873956 ISBN 13: 9780689873959

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008

Synopsis

It's the first day of first grade, and everyone in Mrs. Miller's class is getting ready! Anna is excited about reading zillions of books, Ben's mom gives him a big off-to-first-grade hug, and Claire poses for a first-day picture. In Off to First Grade we hear from all twenty-three of Mrs. Miller's students - from Anna to Yoshi - and even the school principal, Mr. Zimmerman, as they prepare for a day that promises to be filled with fun, learning and laughs.

Every young reader will find someone to identify with as this class deals with the excitement, nerves and feelings of anticipation that go along with the first day of first grade.

About this title

About the Author

Louise Borden graduated from Denison University with a degree in history. She taught first graders and preschoolers and later was a part-owner of a bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to writing children’s books, she also speaks regularly to young students about the writing process. Her books include Good Luck, Mrs. K!, which won the Christopher Medal, and The A+ Custodian. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you can visit her at LouiseBorden.com.

Joan Rankin has illustrated more than twenty-five books for children. She received the South African HAUM Dann Retief Prize for Children’s Book Illustration in 1986 and the Katrina Harris Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991. Books she has illustrated include A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Off to First Grade by Louise Borden. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

From Booklist

In this cheerful collection of poems, a group of young animal characters prepare for their first day in first grade at Elm School Elementary. On each spread, different speakers describe their morning preparations: Claire, a floppy-eared dog, smiles excitedly while her dad takes a picture; Polly, a striped tabby, receives a good-luck penny from her mom; Henry, a fuzzy bear, can’t wait to use the new art supplies in his classroom. Not every student is excited. Yoshi, a long-eared rabbit, says, “I wish I was going / back to kindergarten.” And new immigrant Ignacio, a lion cub, holds his father’s hand and anxiously practices his English. Each poem’s lines are short and direct and have a conversational meter that will read aloud well, and Rankin’s expressive paint-and-pencil illustrations expertly amplify the emotions, from shy apprehension to eager anticipation. Young students will recognize both the range of feelings and the diversity of families represented in this warm offering that concludes with cheerleading from the principal: “We’re all ready to begin / the best school year ever.” Preschool-Grade 1. --Gillian Engberg

About this edition

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0689873956
• ISBN 13: 9780689873959
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Rankin Joan