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Gilbert and Friends

No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!

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It's the last day of school! Gilbert is excited about summer vacation. First there's a class party, and Mrs. Byrd will give out the end-of-the-year awards. But will Gilbert even get one? Patty's the best speller. Philip's the best reader. What is Gilbert best at?

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

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Diane deGroat

126 books36 followers

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Community Reviews

5 stars
66 (37%)
4 stars
58 (32%)
3 stars
42 (23%)
2 stars
4 (2%)
1 star
6 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Alfy.
19 reviews
April 11, 2013
It was nice but kinda long for a pre-k child!
Profile Image for Kelsey Rice.
46 reviews
October 10, 2018
This book was about a Gilbert and his last day in first grade. On the last day, they all got awards and recited poems for their parents. Gilbert got the award of good friend. Gilbert and his classmates were very sad to be leaving their teacher but were very excited to be on summer break. I thought this book was so cute! I loved the illustrations! This book would be so fun to read to your class on their last day of first grade. I think you could use this in the classroom to talk about going to second grade and the ending of the school year and beginning of summer. Also could be used to talk about poems and have your students write their own.
40 reviews
February 26, 2022
It was the last day of school for Gilbert and his class read their poems aloud and got awards from their teacher. Gilbert was worried because he didn't know what he was good at, but other kids knew what they were good at. I think this is the perfect book to read during the last week of school because it shows all of the kids different emotions about summer starting. I think it would be super fun to have the kids write their own poems and share them on the last day of school. Overall, super fun and cute book.
Profile Image for Shelbie.
64 reviews
May 23, 2025
I like this one and think it is a good book to help kids transition from school to summer vacation. It helps them deal with the complex emotions of moving on and saying goodbye. The plot emphasizes the importance of celebrating your achievements, celebrating others' achievements, and leaving people with positive memories of you in a hopeful, realistic, and charming way. I personally think there's a strong message about first impressions vs final impressions and learning how to accept change. It does lose a star however for being too wordy. The kids lost the message.
38 reviews
February 19, 2019
This is a great book to read toward the end of the school year. I love how it perfectly captures the different feelings kids may go through on the last day of school. It also helps them with getting ready for the last day of school and the things they can help with around the classroom leading up to it. This book captured worry, fear, sadness, and happiness. This is great to help kids understand different emotions they may feel.
72 reviews3 followers
June 4, 2024
Children's lit non fiction 1-3

This is a funny story about a porcupine who talks and is writing a poem in class. He wants his teacher to always remember him. The story is about wanting to be the best for his teacher, as well as Gilbert making himself proud. In the end he wins and realizes he will miss his teacher now more than ever. This was a great reminder of how much our students think of us and how we matter to them.
138 reviews
October 20, 2017
A good bookend to the Brand New Pencils book where the character is starting a new grade. This one concludes the schoolyear. Again very nice vignette about a schoolyear coming to a close and how big of an occasion that can be from that perspective. The charming art really sells this series and this episode doesn't use too preachy of wording like some others.
52 reviews
June 22, 2022
All Grades (k-4)
End of the Year Activities
Children's Literature

I really like this book because of the background knowledge it brings when relating to the last day of school, end-of-the-year activities, rewards, and memories about the school year. This can also lead to other activities for the end of the year celebration.
Profile Image for Azin.
382 reviews14 followers
July 8, 2024
روزِ آخرِ مدرسه،
جشن،
بچه هایِ هم زمان خوشحال از فرارسیدن تابستون و ناراحت از جدا شدن از معلم دوست داشتنیشون..


(شخصیتهای کتاب حیوون بودن و معلمشون خانم بیرد، پنگوئن بود :)))))
دوستش داشتم!
هم به تاثیر معلم خوب و هم لزوم کمک کردن بچه ها به همدیگه اشاره کرده بود..
منو یاد معلم کلاس اول خودم انداخت که خیلی دوستش داشتم و دارم.🤍
Profile Image for Lynda.
1,561 reviews16 followers
February 15, 2018
It’s Gilbert’s last day of 1st grade and he and his classmates are a mix of emotions while presenting poems for their families, receiving awards and saying goodbye to their teacher.
Profile Image for Emma.
4,980 reviews13 followers
December 4, 2021
I remember crying at my fifth grade clap-out because I didn't want to leave my teachers and my school.
Profile Image for Jen.
1,060 reviews28 followers
June 1, 2011
This has been a great read for our last week of school this week. It's Gilbert's last day of school and his class is having a party where awards are going to be given out. Gilbert can think of a variety of awards that his classmates could be getting, but he's wondering if he'll be the lucky recipient of one of those awards.
Profile Image for Yapha.
3,438 reviews106 followers
May 30, 2014
What a perfect end-of-school book! It captures the mixed emotions that children feel on the last day of school just perfectly. I've been reading this series to the third graders throughout the year, and this is just a perfect way to end the year.

My only issue with the book is that the characters seem older than 1st grade, and the third graders were a little disappointed to see them as such.
Profile Image for Jackie.
4,595 reviews45 followers
December 21, 2014
As summer vacation is looming, Gilbert is excited to recite his poem for friends and family on this last day. Mrs. Byrd is going to give out awards for the 'best' in class, yet Gilbert is worried that he really isn't the best at anything. He is surprised when his award is presented and it turns out to be the best-ever!
25 reviews
February 16, 2016
I really like how this book can teach kids, that even though they might not know what they are good at, someone around them knows what they are good at. It might be something small or something big. Whatever it is, someone will always help you and remind you what you are good at. This is a cute book to also teach about friendship and what kids might go through on the last day of school.
Profile Image for Michelle Carter.
101 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2010
It's the last day of school and it's awards day. Gilbert is so afraid he won't get an award. But he gets one of the best awards ever. The students are all afraid that their teacher will be sad without them over the summer, but no worries, she is going to be just fine.
Profile Image for Cana.
534 reviews
August 19, 2009
Mommy says: Not nearly as meanspirited as the title implies.

Grammy, thank you for reading this to the kids.
Profile Image for Jenni.
87 reviews12 followers
October 8, 2015
The main character is in first grade. It's the last day of school and the children read their poems and receive awards.
Profile Image for Heather Jo.
1,879 reviews9 followers
July 4, 2016
megan summer reading 2016, children's book, picture book, series, gilbert, end of school, first grade, second grade,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews