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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 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. ( )

Back to school/first day book ( )

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. ( )