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The Hundred Dresses

by Eleanor Estes, Louis Slobodkin (Illustrations)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 11,963 ratings · 1,029 reviews

Eleanor Estes’s The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn’t and bullies her mercile...more

Paperback, 80 pages

Published September 1st 2004 by Sandpiper (first published January 1st 1944)

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Mar 26, 2012 ComWa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all

Shelves: children-s-books

This book has remained in my memory because it speaks to many of the issues that children deal with today. The main character wears the same outfit everyday, and yet claims to have a hundred. Due to her claim of having a hundred dresses, the students ridcule her. Sadly, the students merely see the physical,where as the main character sees beyond the physical. Though in the physical she was not attired with the hundred dresses,in her imagination and drawings she was and that was sufficient for he...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Deana Youkhana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-realistic-fiction

This is a wonderful book about a young girl named Wanda, who is not wealthy as the other children in school. She wears the same raggedy, dirty blue dress to school everyday. The other children tease her about her clothes. They view Wanda as a meek girl, who is poor and not as smart as they are. She sits in the back of the room with the other troubled kids. She doesn't sit there, because she's a troublemaker. She sits there, because that's the only place she belongs. The popular, rich kids in Wan...more This is a wonderful book about a young girl named Wanda, who is not wealthy as the other children in school. She wears the same raggedy, dirty blue dress to school everyday. The other children tease her about her clothes. They view Wanda as a meek girl, who is poor and not as smart as they are. She sits in the back of the room with the other troubled kids. She doesn't sit there, because she's a troublemaker. She sits there, because that's the only place she belongs. The popular, rich kids in Wanda's class tease her and wait for her after school to tease her about her mannerism and her old dress. They ask her about the 100 dresses and nice shoes Wanda claims to have. She feeds into it and talks to them about it. They inquire more about what she's sharing, but in a teasing way. Wanda takes this in and believes this group wants to know more about her and is accepting her. They are not interested in Wanda - they just want to make fun of her. After a couple of days of Wanda not being in school, they receive a letter from Wanda's dad saying they have moved. And, the letter states that there is "no more making fun of girl who talks funny in old dress". The children feel really bad for teasing Wanda and not being able to apologize and say good-bye to her properly. They even go to her house to see if she's there. They write letters to her. She eventually writes her class letters and includes sketches of the 100 dresses she talked about. She gave them to the children and had a special drawing to the girls who made fun of her. They discovered that Wanda must have really liked them to give/make them the special drawings, even though they were mean to her. The girls learned something about being nice to all and not bullying others, because they are different. This book focuses on adolescent behavior, relationships and bullying others that look/act different than others.

As a teacher, I would use this book to teach the children about being sympathetic towards others and bullying. I think students can sympathize towards either group. They have either been a “Wanda”, the victim, or have been the mean girls in the story. This story is about self-discovery and growing up. Each character in the story resembles a real person in their behavior. Girls can be picked on and bullied by others. Wanda tries to win over the bullies by talking about the 100 dresses she has in her house. The bullies feel they are better than the person being bullied and will bother that person. They make fun and laugh at Wanda. There is a predictable series of events in this story. The girls make fun of Wanda, Wanda tries to get the girls to like her, it doesn’t work and they make fun of her instead. Then, Wanda’s family moves away and the girls feel badly about how they treated Wanda and wanted to apologize to her. The dilemma that interests children in the story is how to deal with bullies and be friends with them rather than fight. This would interest children, because they have to deal with bullies in school. The characters discovered a realistic solution at the end where Maddie felt bad for treating Wanda so badly. She wanted to see and apologize to Wanda. She knew she was wrong to treat Maddie like that and wanted to be her friend.

There are few pictures in this book. The descriptive words perfectly illustrate the items in the story so the reader can picture it in their head. The words vibrantly describe the girls, the time of day and the school with such details that the reader feels as though they are inside the story themselves.

There are many settings in this book. It takes place at school and at home. The reader can tell exactly what the setting looks like through the vivid descriptions included in the book.
The character is described through the physical details involved in the book. The reader gets a vivid image of Wanda and the other girls through the thorough description of them in the book.
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Mar 28, 2012 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

The Hundred Dresses is a story that on the surface seems to be written for children. But the message this story has to give can be (and should be) used everywhere.

In this story Wanda, a Polish immigrant, is trying to fit in with the other children at her school. On the surface (again) she has nothing in common with them, yet just as she doesn't quite fit in with the others, neither does Maddie, a girl who is also poor, but definitely not in the same financial place as Wanda. When Wanda says she...more

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Mar 09, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: grades 3-5

Recommended to Sarah by: other staff

Shelves: children-realistic, children-historical

Soon after starting at a new school, Wanda becomes the focus of a daily taunting by the other girls. Wanda wears the same—albeit clean and pressed—blue dress to school every day and, on top of that, the kids think that she has a strange last name: “Petronski.” On the way to school one day, Wanda feels less shy than normal and whispers to Peggy, the prettiest and most popular girl in class, that she has one hundred dresses at home in her closet. Clearly, she’s not telling the truth, but Peggy doe...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Jeana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-books

This book is heartbreaking. The Hundred Dresses is a really short, mid-grade book about a girl Wanda who tells some other girls in her class that she has 100 beautiful dresses at home, "all lined up in her closet," even though she wears the same, faded blue dress to school every day. One girl Peggy relentlessly teases her about her 100 dresses, while her best friend Maggie stands by and lets it happen. I cried through the end. Maybe it's because I have a similar story from my childhood that stil...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summary: This chapter book tells of a fictional story that was based on a real life childhood experience of the author. This story is narrated from a third person limited view point. It tells of how a young Polish girl was taunted by two other girls because she claimed to have 100 dresses even though she wore the exact same shabby blue one every day. When the girl is suddenly gone, the girls become sympathetic and ashamed of their behavior, but there is a stark contrast in how they deal with the...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Shannon Amici rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 402-catalog

Reading Level- 2-6

Genre- Fiction

Topic- Bullying

Social- "Treat one another as you want to be treated". Teaches acceptance and respect. Forgiveness.

Curricula Use-Read aloud

Literary elements-Symbolism

Text & Pictures- Not many illustrations. The book could be told without them

Summary- "The Hundred Dresses" is about a little girl Wanda who is bullied because she wears the same pale blue dress to school. She told the other girls at school that she has one hundred dresses at home. Everyone laughs...more

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Feb 22, 2009 LaSchelle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone, but especially girls and young women

Recommended to LaSchelle by: Grandma Pooh

Shelves: children, fiction, borrow-still-have, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I great reminder about how tough it is to be the odd child or have something different about you that other children like to make fun of you. We need to stand up for those that might be different than us. Those that are different have talents and special gifts that we can learn from. It's easier to treat people with kindness, rather than to feel guilt that you might have contributed to them not feeling comfortable and part of the reason that made them leave.

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Wanda only had one dr...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Cruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read-aloud-personal-challenge, childrens-chapter-book, read-aloud

Author: Eleanor Estes
Illustrator: Louis Slobodkin
First Published: 1944

"The Hundred Dresses" received a Newbery Honor in 1945.

Louis Slobodkin illustrated a number of Estes works including The Moffats. He received a Caldecott Medal for Many Moons by James Thurber. He also wrote and illustrated his own books. His illustrations in my edition of "The Hundred Dresses" are fully restored with a simple colour pallet based on primary colours and quick shaded pencil drawings. The illustrations work with...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-book

The front cover of this book really intrigued me because it had so many bright and beautiful colors. When I read the title, I thought that this book would be about a princess who had a hundred dresses, but this book was no fairytale. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes is the story of a young girl named Wanda Petronski who was the outcast in her class. She was very quiet, had a funny last name, lived on the outskirts of the town and, unlike the other girls in her class, had only one faded blue...more The front cover of this book really intrigued me because it had so many bright and beautiful colors. When I read the title, I thought that this book would be about a princess who had a hundred dresses, but this book was no fairytale. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes is the story of a young girl named Wanda Petronski who was the outcast in her class. She was very quiet, had a funny last name, lived on the outskirts of the town and, unlike the other girls in her class, had only one faded blue dress that she wore to school everyday. Since Wanda was different, the students in the class ignored her and one student in particular named Peggy made fun of her. She created a game in which she asked Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet. Wanda responded every time by stating that she had one hundred dresses and this became a big joke because everyone knew that she only had one. Peggy’s friend Maddie never agreed with what her friend was doing, but always stood by without doing anything. Then, the class had an art competition and Wanda won because she created one hundred drawings of beautiful dresses of all different styles and colors. However, Wanda was not there to accept her prize because, in a letter that was written to the class, it was stated that the Petronski family had moved away to a place where they would be accepted. This letter really affected Maddie and she regretted not stopping her friend’s teasing. In the end, though Wanda did not move back to the town, she gave both Peggy and Maddie one her drawings which showed that she had forgiven them.

This was a truly touching story that has a very important and powerful message about bullying and depicts the consequences of not standing up for what is right. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of incorporating the message into the story without it being overpowering. The illustrations in this book are beautiful, simple, faded pencil drawings for the most part, but there are a few pictures that are more colorful. I think that the illustrations are simple because the author wants the reader to focus on the message of the story. I think that this book would work best for children in 3rd through 5th grade because they will understand the message in this book. I would make this a read aloud in my classroom because it is at this age that students begin to deal with bullying and it is important for them to see how their actions can affect others.
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Nov 16, 2012 Mimi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: older-children

This book, in and of itself, is sad. It ends with Maddie blinking "away the tears that came every time she thought of Wanda standing alone in that sunny spot in the school yard close to the wall, looking stolidly over at the group of laughing girls after she had walked off."

The most uplifting part of the book is that Maddie seems to have sincerely learned a lesson about not standing by while others are being teased and for not letting superficial differences get in the way of reaching out to som...more This book, in and of itself, is sad. It ends with Maddie blinking "away the tears that came every time she thought of Wanda standing alone in that sunny spot in the school yard close to the wall, looking stolidly over at the group of laughing girls after she had walked off."

The most uplifting part of the book is that Maddie seems to have sincerely learned a lesson about not standing by while others are being teased and for not letting superficial differences get in the way of reaching out to someone, like how she imagines herself rescuing Wanda and saying, "Stop! This girl is just a girl just like you are." She never imagines herself being Wanda's friend, and maybe that just isn't included in the book. But even when she is being nice to Wanda, it is all about standing up in front of the group, never inviting her over to her home or walking with her or playing with her. I hope that she would go a step past stopping the teasing and actually befriending her.

Wanda is originally ignored by all of her classmates, because she has a "strange" (Polish) last name, only one dress to wear to school (always clean, but never pressed and didn't hang right), and her English was not very good, especially her reading ability. Then once she told the other girls that she had one hundred dresses in her closet, she is no longer ignored and now teased by all the other girls, and they think it is okay to tease her, because surely she must be lying. (view spoiler) I wonder which was worse? Being completely ignored as if you didn't even exist? Or being teased and not understanding why? They're both pretty horrible, but the girls only seem to feel bad about the teasing.

The difference between Peggy's and Maddie's reactions (view spoiler) are very interesting. Peggy tries to rationalize everything, and Maddie feels genuinely ashamed.

Maddie mentions being afraid that she would be picked on next, but since she realized how quickly Peggy could turn on her for being poor, it is too bad that she never realized that she might be happier having a friend like Wanda who would never tease her even if she and Wanda were then teased together by the rest. Having a true friend can make a lot of painful experiences bearable.

This book was originally published in 1944, and the author's daughter said that the author wrote it based on something that happened in her girlhood, so it is an old tale, but I think it still rings true, because this disdain for foreigners is still, sadly, very real in our country. And even if being foreign isn't the issue at hand, there are still far too many children being teased about completely irrelevant things and too many children basing friendships on differences that don't actually make a difference. I hope I do a good job teaching my children to look past the things that don't matter and to be kind to everyone regardless.

I did find it interesting how clueless the teacher was regarding how Wanda had been treated. I know the actual teasing happened outside of the school, usually along the walk to school, but surely she must have noticed that Wanda had no friends. That no one talked to her.

It is a very simple story, very accessible to children. It is illustrated throughout. I think this would be a good story to read, or discuss afterward, with your child. It is definitely an important lesson for all to learn. And kindness is something that I continually grow away and toward. I am very grateful for being able to say sorry, because regret is a terrible burden to bear, as Maddie learns.(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Daniela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Grade Level: 3rd
Main Characters: Wanda Potronski, Peggy, and Maddie
Setting: Boggin Heights, Connecticut
POV: Third person

Summary:
This is a story about a Polish-American girl named Wanda Petronski who goes to a school in the rural town of Boggin Heights, Connecticut. Wanda is made fun of because of her last name, and eventually the fact that she tells the girls at school that she has one hundred dresses. The girls know this is a lie because everyday Wanda comes to school in the same faded blue dre...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Such a simple book with such a profound message.

The story is about a girl named Wanda who's teased because she claims she has "a hundred dresses, all lined up in her closet", even though all she wears to school everyday is a pale blue dress, shabby, but always clean.

Bullying is something so many of us, especially children face, some on a daily basis. Even if bullying does not really hurt you physically, it can still leave lasting scars that gnaw at you for the rest of your life. This story, with...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Lissa Chandler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childhood, we-own, newbery-honor

I thought this was going to be a Holocaust book, but it ended up being a sadly sweet story about three little girls: a mean girl, a silent accomplice, and a quiet girl who is being teased. What I liked about this is that I think it could be interpreted several different ways- maybe Wanda didn't fully understand that the girls were making fun of her, maybe she had been drawing dresses for years to make up for the fact that she only wore one, or maybe she fully understood what the girls were doing...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nice short read with an important reminder. Our Relief Society is reading it for an upcoming activity. I have to admit that it left me very depressed. I grew up being teased or neglected a lot by my peers, so reading this made me feel like the heartache was fresh. And my present financial circumstances currently mean I have only one nice shirt I can wear to church, and I know people have noticed that I have to wear it every week (though they thankfully don't tease me about it). I found myself ge...more Nice short read with an important reminder. Our Relief Society is reading it for an upcoming activity. I have to admit that it left me very depressed. I grew up being teased or neglected a lot by my peers, so reading this made me feel like the heartache was fresh. And my present financial circumstances currently mean I have only one nice shirt I can wear to church, and I know people have noticed that I have to wear it every week (though they thankfully don't tease me about it). I found myself getting frustrated because there are kids at our church that don't own even one pretty dress to wear, and they are noticeably uncomfortable and don't come into their classes because of it. I hope that as our Relief Society reads this book, more eyes can be opened to the needs of those right in our midst. The burden of poverty and that comes from prolonged unemployment in this economy and its accompanying cutting of social ties and respect is one that could really be helped by more understanding and compassion, a lesson we are learning from experience and one I hope never to forget once our personal four-year recession ends. Reminds me of this quote from Pres. Hinckley:

“A man out of work is of special moment to the Church because, deprived of his inheritance, he is on trial as Job was on trial—for his integrity. As days lengthen into weeks and months and even years of adversity, the hurt grows deeper, and he is sorely tempted to “curse God and die.” Continued economic dependence breaks him, it humiliates him if he is strong, spoils him if he is weak. Sensitive or calloused, despondent or indifferent, rebellious or resigned—either way, he is threatened with spiritual ruin, for the dole is an evil and idleness a curse. He soon becomes the seedbed of discontent, wrong thinking, alien beliefs. The Church cannot hope to save a man on Sunday if during the week it is a complacent witness to the crucifixion of his soul” (Helping Others to Help Themselves [pamphlet, 1945], 4).(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Aine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics-for-children

This book is one of my favorites from childhood. I have a hardback edition that I bought to share with my girls. Some stories are timeless. Even the story behind the story is touching as well as inspiring! In the hardback edition, the author's daughter writes a little note. I love this part:

"Years ago, I asked my mother why she had written the story. She told me about a classmate in her elementary school who had been taunted because she wore the same dress to school every day, and because her Po...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Wayne S. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Madeline (Maddie) is in Miss Mason’s Room 13 at school, along with her best friend, Peggy, who is the most popular girl in school. Another girl in class is Wanda Petronski, who lives in Boggins Heights, the “bad section” of town, is very quiet, and seems to have difficulty reading. Wanda wears the same faded blue dress that doesn’t hang right to school every day. Once when someone asked her if that was the only dress she had, she replied that she had a hundred dresses hanging in her closet. Aft...more Madeline (Maddie) is in Miss Mason’s Room 13 at school, along with her best friend, Peggy, who is the most popular girl in school. Another girl in class is Wanda Petronski, who lives in Boggins Heights, the “bad section” of town, is very quiet, and seems to have difficulty reading. Wanda wears the same faded blue dress that doesn’t hang right to school every day. Once when someone asked her if that was the only dress she had, she replied that she had a hundred dresses hanging in her closet. After that, Peggy began teasing her by asking her every day how many dresses she had, and even Maddie, while she somehow feels uncomfortable about it, joins in the teasing. They’re really not intending to be mean or cruel.

Then one day Wanda isn’t in school. Peggy and Maddie have waited outside to tease her again, and when she doesn’t come they are a little late. In fact, Wanda is missing for several days. However, a picture that she has drawn for the school’s coloring contest wins a medal. Maddie and Peggy even climb up the hill to the Petronski house in Boggins Heights on a cold, rainy day to see if Wanda is there. Were there really a hundred dresses? How does Maddie feel when the class receives a letter telling them that Wanda, her father, and her brother Jake have moved from their house in Boggins Heights to another city where there will be no more teasing about their funny name. And what can Maddie do to assuage her feelings of guilt?

The author’s daughter says that during World War I her mother went to elementary school with a poor classmate who was taunted because she wore the same dress to school every day and her Polish name was unusual. The little girl moved away to New York City in the middle of the school year, and Eleanor Estes never had the opportunity to tell her that she was sorry. Helena Estes writes, “Was the character Maddie based on my mother? Probably.” This tender and touching story, which won a Newbery Honor Award in 1945, teaches children some very important lessons. Some might tend to focus on the negatives of bullying, racism, and ethnic stereotypes, but the real value of the book is in illustrating the meaning of kindness, generosity, compassion, and understanding. I highly recommend it.
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Aug 29, 2012 Kristine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, juvenile, newbury-winner-honor

Though Eleanor Estes published this Newbery Honor book in the 1940s, the heart of the story in THE HUNDRED DRESSES is still just as relevant to children -- particularly girls -- of today who also are learning to navigate the tricky world of peer behavior.

The story is shown through the eyes of Maddie, who stands silently by while another child, Wanda, is repeatedly being teased and excluded. Estes is right on target as she expertly conveys Maddie's mixed thoughts and feelings in the uncomfort...more
Though Eleanor Estes published this Newbery Honor book in the 1940s, the heart of the story in THE HUNDRED DRESSES is still just as relevant to children -- particularly girls -- of today who also are learning to navigate the tricky world of peer behavior.

The story is shown through the eyes of Maddie, who stands silently by while another child, Wanda, is repeatedly being teased and excluded. Estes is right on target as she expertly conveys Maddie's mixed thoughts and feelings in the uncomfortable situation. [The reader is left only to imagine Wanda's thoughts and feelings.]

Wanda, a Polish immigrant, comes to school each day with the same yearning to be accepted and included as all the other girls. Motherless Wanda, who lives with her father and brother, comes to school each day in the same clean, but very faded blue dress. Maddie is poor, too, but not as poor as Wanda --- and gets second-hand dresses rather than the new dresses of some of the other girls.

So when Wanda claims one day to have a hundred dresses in her closet, the mean-spirited teasing revs into high gear. It isn't long before Maddie's guilty conscience also revs into high gear because she witnesses day after day of what the author calls the children "having fun with Wanda" at Wanda's expense -- basically, repeated insensitive, unkind teasing that might today be called playground bullying.

And then one day Wanda's seat at school is empty -- not for one day, but for another and another. Most readers won't be able to guess why her seat is empty, nor can her classmates.

When the truth about Wanda's hundred dresses is revealed, most readers will be just as surprised as Maddie and her classmates.

Maddie struggles to come up with a way to lessen her discomfort at her own lack of courage -- and try to make amends somehow to the girl she realizes had been wronged.

The author's solution was acceptable, but I confess the very, very end was my least favorite part of the book. Sometimes we just have to live with the realization that our best selves don't always show up at the right time... and our behavior falls short of our own expectations. The very end suggests that Estes wasn't comfortable with that realistic an ending and wanted her character to be at least somewhat released from her guilty conscience.

In spite of that one criticism, THE HUNDRED DRESSES is a book well worth sharing with another generation. For those familiar with the author's other books -- THE MOFFATS, GINGER PYE etc. -- it may be useful to note that this book can be read by somewhat younger readers -- having larger font, more illustrations, and fewer pages (only 80). (less)

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May 05, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

My goodness. My youngest and I just finished reading it. When we started the book, the other children were in the room while we read aloud, and soon, they were pulled in to the sad story of Wanda, who is a little girl ridiculed in the school yard for her poverty. Oddly enough, the main character of this story is only referred to in flashbacks, but you grow to love her in her absence. My kids felt so sorry for her as the story progressed, and I found them guessing at random times throughout the w...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Monchel Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The Hundred Dresses" really was a powerful story. This story actually made me shed a tear it was so sad. The story was about a Girl named Wanda Petronski from Poland, and she got bullied by students because she wore the same blue faded dress everyday. Wanda tried to explain to the children that she had one hundred dresses at home but they didn't believe her. Wanda got pulled out of school and the children was then guilty. This story should be read by a 6 year old and up. The lines in this story...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Kathleen Creevy added it

Shelves: social-justice-text-set

The Hundred Dresses is a classic children’s book that was first published in 1944. The story is about Wanda Petronski, a poor polish student in an American classroom. The book is told through the eyes of one of her classmates named Maddie, who is involved in teasing Wanda. Wanda is constantly the being teased at school for being different. Wanda is bullied for wearing the same dress everyday. Wanda tells them that she has a hundred dresses in her closet, even though realistically she couldn’t af...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Dustin Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-chapter

Wanda Petronski, a school-aged polish immigrant to America, sits in the back corner of classroom number 13 with all the troubled kids. But, Wanda doesn't sit there because she belongs with them, but because she belongs nowhere else. She comes from a poor family on Boggins Heights, stands alone, and never talks very much. When one day all the girls gather to gloat over Cecile's new dress, out of the blue Wanda speaks aloud. Bet did they really hear what she just said? "I have a hundred dresses ho...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced221, contemporary-realistic-fiction

This story is about a little girl named Wanda. Wanda was not well off but when the story came out that she had one hundred dresses in her closet at her home, the girls at school became suspicious all because she wore the same old blue dress to school everyday. Peggy and Maddie would ask Wanda everyday, "where are your hundred dresses" as a way to tease Wanda. The little girl moved away from the school, but not until she had entered her hundred dresses drawing into the contest. The story takes a...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Alana rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes is a great story. Wanda Petronski had a hundred dresses, "all lined up." Other girls, such as Maddie and Peggy, liked to give Wanda a hard time and mock her about claiming to have a hundred dresses. When Wanda did not come to school for a few days, Maddie began to feel awful about how she treated Wanda. As the story continues, the reader finds out what those hundred dresses are and how Maddie matures. I really enjoyed this story because I thought that it taug...more The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes is a great story. Wanda Petronski had a hundred dresses, "all lined up." Other girls, such as Maddie and Peggy, liked to give Wanda a hard time and mock her about claiming to have a hundred dresses. When Wanda did not come to school for a few days, Maddie began to feel awful about how she treated Wanda. As the story continues, the reader finds out what those hundred dresses are and how Maddie matures. I really enjoyed this story because I thought that it taught a great lesson. This story teaches readers to treat others the way that you want to be treated. The story also demonstrates that you do not always know what other people are going through in their life, so you cannot judge them based on what they look like or by what they wear. When the story explained what the hundred dresses were, I was surprised. I did not know what Wanda meant when she told the other girls about her dresses. My first reaction was that she really did have a hundred dresses in her closet, but then I thought that maybe she had a hundred of the same dress because she wore the same faded blue dress, that did not hang right and looked as though it had never been properly ironed, to school everyday. My last reaction was that she did not have all of these dresses, and was saying this in order to fit in with the rest of the girls. I was pleasantly surprised by the art contest, and it was definitely my favorite part of the book. I believe that many people would be able to relate to this book, and especially to how Wanda must have felt when the other girls gave her a hard time. It is hard growing up and being bullied, and I think that this is a great story for kids to hear. It was great to hear from another point of view, not from the character who was being bullied but from the character that was bullying. A passage that stuck out to me, on page 49, was what Maddie was thinking after hearing the letter from Wanda's father. "True, she had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet, but she had said nothing. She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done. Worse. She was a coward...She could have put herself in Wanda's shoes. But she had done just as much as Peggy to make life miserable for Wanda by simply standing by and saying nothing." I believe that this passage is so powerful and teaches readers that they need to stand up for what is right. Another passage that stuck out to me was on page 63, when Maddie made a great discovery. "She was never going to stand by and say nothing again. If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny looking or because they had strange names, she'd speak up. Even if it meant losing Peggy's friendship. She had no way of making things right with Wanda, but from now on she would never make anybody else so unhappy again." Passages like these really touch me, and I know that they touch other readers as well. This is an amazing story about kindness, generosity, compassion, and understanding, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Abigail rated it 3 of 5 stars

(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

Ok, our sixth grade class has to do a writing assignment on this book (response to literature).
I decided to look at the book on Goodreads and write a review.

Basically, there is a Polish child named Wanda Petronski who lives in a dismal, poor side of town (Boggin's Heights) and always wears an un-ironed yet clean blue dress to school.
One day, she tries to join in a conversation by saying she has "One hundred dresses, all lined up in [my] closet".
Of cours...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Jade Nguyen rated it 5 of 5 stars

1. { Genre }: Junior > Other > Realistic Fiction

2. { Summary }: Wanda has 100 dresses, but only wears the same one blue dress to school every day. Classmates become suspicious of her “lie” and torment her until she finally decides to move to a new school.

3a. { Area for comment }: Theme

3b. { Critique }: Although this title was written a few decades ago, I found it still to be touching and accessing for the every day classroom.

3c. { Critique Example }:Wanda was a socially awkward girl who...more
1. { Genre }: Junior > Other > Realistic Fiction

2. { Summary }: Wanda has 100 dresses, but only wears the same one blue dress to school every day. Classmates become suspicious of her “lie” and torment her until she finally decides to move to a new school.

3a. { Area for comment }: Theme

3b. { Critique }: Although this title was written a few decades ago, I found it still to be touching and accessing for the every day classroom.

3c. { Critique Example }: Wanda was a socially awkward girl who just wanted to belong, but just didn’t know how. One day, dresses seemed to be the topic of the day and Wanda decides to be brave and mutter, “...I have 100 dresses” The girls immediately focus their attention on her and as Peggy, the most popular girl in the school, addresses her with questions and all Wanda can do is confirm that she has 100 dresses all lined up in her closet. Of course, the girls become suspicious and assume that Wanda is lying because for every single day she had attended school she’d worn the sane faded blue never ironed dress. Every day, the girls Peggy, the most popular girl in school, and Maddie, the silent guilty bystander, would play the “100 Dresses Game” asking her the same questions trying to prove Wanda a liar. Of course, the game got old and Wanda left the school. The remained of the story explores the minds of two young girls - one in which wants to make a difference and the other in which seems indifferent, but has a hard time doing the right thing. These personalities are very typical in growing pre-teens - both boys and girls. The question is - how can a victim of bullying be so kind towards her predators? Why was Wanda so kind? These are questions that adults can easily answer, but even we have issues with showing kindness to those who show us the opposite.  
This is a quick read and the story begins in such a way that grabs attention. It begins with the absence of Wanda and goes into the reason behind her disappearance. It’s a creative way to start a story in which deals with the typical, but never-ending battles in our classrooms today.

{ Curriculum Connection }:
A fine book to teach morals and manners. I would use this book for a text to self and text to world lesson. This is something that all students can relate to. Although the main characters are females and boys tend to be less emotive, it would be a nice way to introduce the existence of such behavior even if it isn’t voiced. Sometimes bringing things that are hidden behind closed doors to life in the classroom can privately help students that share the same concern/issue at home. (less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Hundred Dresses was my favorite book as a child. It is a simple story about a girl who not many people notice, until the day she says she has a hudred dresses, each different, each beautiful. The other girls in her class find this hilarious; considering Wanda wears the same worn out dress every day. Every day the popular girls ask Wanda about her dresses, and she answers them quite seriously, with great detail. They eventually walk off laughing at Wanda. When their class has a drawing contes...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Becky Ginther rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-classics, realistic-fiction, grades-2-4, bullying

The Hundred Dresses is about a poor girl named Wanda who is mostly ignored by her classmates until one day when she tells them that she owns one hundred dresses. Because she dresses so poorly the other girls find this hilarious and tease her about it, continually asking about her dresses. Eventually Wanda and her family move away to get away from all of the bullying that she and the rest of her family have endured for being different.

I found this book to be interesting, and I'm not quite sure wh...more The Hundred Dresses is about a poor girl named Wanda who is mostly ignored by her classmates until one day when she tells them that she owns one hundred dresses. Because she dresses so poorly the other girls find this hilarious and tease her about it, continually asking about her dresses. Eventually Wanda and her family move away to get away from all of the bullying that she and the rest of her family have endured for being different.

I found this book to be interesting, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. It felt rather simplified and old fashioned. It did have an important message, but it was presented in such a way that it seemed pretty obvious (at least to me) and was teetering on the edge of being preachy. That’s not to say that it was a bad book, it was just very predictable. On the other hand, I think some of the details about bullying really got glossed over. Other than Wanda basically disappearing, the book never shows the consequences of the bullies' actions, and it's not clear if the girls truly realize the extent of what they did. The characters aren’t stereotypes or anything, but they also aren’t super unique or unlike any other characters before.

There are girls acting like typical girls, it’s an interesting story, and it teaches a lesson that is very common with children even today. Though there are some sad moments, in the end everything works out and all are forgiven. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. It might be worth pointing out that this book doesn't make much of an impression with me (and also with children today) because there are other books and stories about much worse bullying situations. After hearing about hate crimes or children that commit suicide because they've been picked on so mercilessly, it's hard to make a huge deal out of a girl who is indirectly teased for saying she has a lot of dresses. But it's important to point out that bullying like that can also be hugely damaging to a child.

Also, I love the illustrations in this book. They are simple, sketchy illustrations, and there aren’t that many of them, but they are gorgeous – the colors are incredible and color is an important element of the story, so that really works.(less)

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Oct 06, 2011 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes offers readers of all ages a timeless message of compassion and understanding. This story centres on Wanda Petronski, an immigrant Polish girl in an American school, who is ridiculed for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. When she tells her classmates that she has one hundred dresses at home the children find this hilarious and it starts a game of teasing that eventually ends in Wanda moving away and a unforgettable lesson for all the children invol...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Selvi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chapter-books-for-a-5yo

I vaguely remember being really moved by this when I read it when I was little. So I was a bit surprised by how little the character of Wanda is developed and how little actually happens. I really admire the attempt to tell stories with important moral points, and know it is difficult. This one seems to have stood the test of time, but I would have preferred at least a conversation between Maddie and Wanda, or at very least between Maddie and Peggy about the real issues. Maybe for a certain age...more

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About Eleanor Estes

Eleanor Ruth Rosenfeld (Estes)was an American children's author. She was born in West Haven, Connecticut as Eleanor Ruth Rosenfield. Originally a librarian, Estes' writing career began following a case of tuberculosis. Bedridden while recovering, Estes began writing down some of her childhood memories, which would later turn into full-length children's books.

Estes's book Ginger Pye (1951) won the...more

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