MY: "Happy new year," East Forsyth High School Principal Patricia Gainey told her returning teachers this week. In a blink of an eye, our routines rev back into the overdrive of school schedules. It seems like yesterday when Hannah started kindergarten.
HMcY: My kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Flanagan, were awesome. We played fun games in the sand box and blew bubbles at recess, and I was certain that my leprechaun trap with the Irish Spring soap was going to trap the leprechaun on Saint Patrick's Day.
So, happy new year to all returning students! Let the memories begin!
THIS SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE THE BEST! By Kay Winters. Penguin. Ages 6-8. $16.99.
On the first day of kindergarten, everyone in the class sits in a circle and shares his wishes for the school year. Each student takes a turn telling classmates his or her back-to-school wishes, like getting the best seat on the bus or having a chocolate fountain at lunch or not being a vegetable in the school play. They hope the principal will do something crazy, like kiss a pig (which Hannah's principal did back in first grade!).
Everyone shares a wish, even the teacher. Each person's wish is in a different font, which visually illustrates how everyone hopes for different things.
KINDERGARTEN DIARY. By Antoinette Portis. HarperCollins. Ages 4-8. $12.99.
Annalina is nervous about her first day of kindergarten. She doesn't want to go to "Big School" with big kids because she only likes preschool. Since her mom says that Annalina has to go to "Big School," Annalina picks out a fancy outfit with her rainbow bathing suit and pink ballerina tutu. However, Annalina's mom says that she has to look nice for her first day, and even makes her wear socks!
Remember the writing paper from elementary school, with the dotted line through the center? Every page is printed on that kind of paper on which everyone learns to write. Kindergarten imagination fills the pages, with alligators and snakes winding through the monkey bars; and vivid but simple art filling the diary from Sept. 1½ to 30.
IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? By Audrey Vernick. HarperCollins. Ages 4-8. $16.99.
"Some people say kindergarten is no place for a buffalo. How crazy is that?" And so starts a preposterous look about how a buffalo might not seem to fit in, but that "Everyone's special in his or her own way. That's the kind of thing you learn in kindergarten." This humorous morality lesson emphasizes that we all have different gifts and talents, and school is a place to celebrate everyone's achievements and personalities. Great for character education or for a funny read, Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? is a clever back-to-school book.
DOTTY. By Erica S. Perl. Abrams. Ages 4-8. $16.95.
Dotty, just like the buffalo in the previous book, tags along on school days. Dotty may have horns and bold, red polka dots, but she is quiet and well-behaved. She isn't the only friend who comes to school, either. After the winter holiday, though, Ida is the only student still bringing her friend Dotty with her to school. Soon the other kids start to make fun of Ida and her dependence on Dotty.
This book is ideal for kids a little unsure of going to school but full of active imagination. The sparkly, textured cover invites young readers to dive in and meet Dotty. Real or imagined, Dotty turns out to be one special dinosaur.
Young Reading with Monica and Hannah McRae Young will appear on the third Sunday of every month. Visit www.cheeReader.com or e-mail cyoung9@triad.rr.com with comments about children's literature.
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