This Librarian's Quick Picks: First Grade Dropout

First Grade Dropout
by Audrey Vernick
illustrations by Matthew Cordell
Clarion Books (July 7, 2015)
Picture Book

Summary:

Everyone laughs when a boy does something embarrassing in class. He considers his options: magic, time travel, disguise. Or maybe he can just quit school. . . . 

Why You'll Love It:

•  Readers will sympathize with this first grader as he describes being laughed at by a “big marching band“ of classmates (including his best friend!) after he accidentally calls his teacher “Mommy.“
• From the opening lines, the narrator’s voice stands out (“I’ve been lots of things. Hungry. Four years old. Crazy-bored. Soaking wet.“) and makes for an amusing read. For example, after he decides he has no choice but to drop out of school, he says, “It’ll be fine. I’ll stay at home for a bunch of years, no big deal, work on my jump shot, and maybe when I’m a teenager, I’ll get a job.“
• The story concludes in an entertaining and satisfying way: at soccer (the first grader is ready to drop out of that, too), his best friend, Tyler, doesn’t remember—or care about—the narrator’s mistake earlier in the day. And then Tyler makes his own verbal faux pas, providing some gentle and valuable perspective.

Who Should Read It:

Great for K-grade 2.

What Else You Should Read: 

• My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown
• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
• Ben Draws Trouble by Matt Davies