Amanda Pig, First Grader (Oliver and Amanda) - Hardcover

Jean Van Leeuwen lives in Westchester, New York.

Ann Schweninger lives in Ancram, New York.

"I've been waiting my whole life to go to school," said kindergarten-bound Amanda Pig in Amanda Pig, School Girl (1997). In this latest entry in the Amanda and Oliver easy-reader series, Amanda is just as eager to start first grade. Four short chapters follow her through her first days in class. There are a few struggles. She gets lost on the way to the office; the big kids steal the first grader's ball; and she is frustrated when her first day doesn't bring instantaneous literacy ("I thought I could read in first grade"). Very quickly, though, she begins to decipher words, and by the final episode, she skips recess to finish her first book. Once again, the author and illustrator zero in on a child's excitement and frustrations with warmth and accuracy. The clear, short sentences are calibrated for new readers, but the story, illustrated in appealing watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, will also draw younger children still awaiting their first-grade debuts. Another solid entry in a winning series. Engberg, Gillian