Book Review: 100th Day Worries
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What Parents Should Know
Kids can't resist counting and adding up the items on the
pages, and rooting for the story's heroine.
Common Sense Media Review
Bringing in one hundred objects on the one hundredth day of
school is a familiar assignment to many elementary school kids,
and listeners will immediately relate to Jessica, a lovable
worrywart.
The tension mounts as readers worry along with Jessica about what to bring. At the same time, Margery Cuyler skillfully weaves in the math by organizing the other kids' items in groups of ten, twenty, and twenty-five. Listeners will jump right in, pointing and counting the paper clips and peanut bags and helping Jessica add because they want her to have enough objects.
The illustrations by Arthur Howard show a frazzled, wide-eyed Jessica. Well known for his drawings for the Mr. Putter and Tabby series, Howard has drawn the characters with a frenzy of lines that add to the sense of stress.
Another book using the one-hundredth-day idea for younger readers is Joseph Slate's Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten. Cuyler has also written That's Good! That's Bad.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
