The Night Before First Grade

It's not really the night before first grade in our house YET! I honestly never thought I'd say this, but I am getting very sad that Ty is heading back to school in 17 days. I've enjoyed the lighter structured day and the flexibility that the summer offers, not to mention the FUN! As usual, all good things must come to an end.

I didn't realize first graders have challenges to face, until I read this book and I HAD to buy it for Ty. In this book, Penny is excited to start the year with her best friend right beside her in the same classroom (you know, the one she met in Kindergarten?). This first grader was faced with the panic of being split up from her best friend by being put in a different class. However, she then faced the joys of meeting new friends. When Penny and her best friend met up at lunch, they wanted to introduce their newest friend to each other. To their surprise, their newest friends looked identical. That's because they were identical. They were identical twins separated into the two first grade classes.

How appropriate for our household!

It's hard to write a book about first grade jitters. Many of the books out there make the first day seem just perfect, when it often isn't. What I Iike about the The Night Before First Grade is the way in which the author recognizes the potentially frightening aspects of the first day of school and resolves them in a realistic manner.