Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade

Princess Posey #1

by Stephanie Greene, Stephanie Sisson (Illustrator)

Posey is really nervous about starting first grade. Instead of getting walked to her classroom, her mom has to drop her off at the Kiss-and-Go Lane. Then she'll have to walk into school and face the Monster of the Blue Hall all by herself. Worst of all, she has to do it without the one thing that always makes her feel brave and the tutu that turns her into the Pink Princess. But when Posey inspires her new teacher to throw a first-day parade in which all the kids are invited to wear whatever makes them feel the most comfortable, first grade starts to look a lot more promising. Posey will charm readers just graduating from easy-to-reads (and from kindergarten). Make reading sparkle with all of the Princess Posey chapter books!

Genres: Chapter Books, Childrens, School, Juvenile, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, 1st Grade

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2010

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posey is anxious about the first day of school. Now that she is going into first grade, her mother drops her off in the "Kiss and Go" Lane. Posey will have to walk down the long blue hall all by herself to get to her classroom. Two boys who live next door tell her tall tales about monsters and snakes who eat first graders. They replace their blood with blue ink -- see? If only Posey could wear her beloved pink tutu(though somewhat worn) on that first day. When she is Princess Posey, she can do anything. An outing with her grandpa and a conversation with her teacher (wearing her beloved and raggedy pink sneakers).leads to a great idea for onboarding those hesitant first graders. A fantastic read for back-to-school and shy kiddos like I once was.

[Crys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posey is such an adorable character - I cannot believe I did not know about these books. I discovered them by accident while at the library, which is why you should always take the time to look over the shelves. You never know what you'll find.

This book is a great read-aloud to the kindergartner to first graders in your life. Posey is an inspiration, asking the right questions and wanting to just be 6.

In the first book, she is initially afraid of starting first grade because her mom will have to "drop off and kiss" and not be able to walk Posey to her class. And her two trickster neighbors are no help either; playing into her fear.

But then Posey meets her teacher at the store, and Posey is wearing her favorite thing: a tutu. She asks her teacher, "Why can't we wear our favorite comfy clothes to school?" And her teacher decides to have a parade on the first day of school, with all of her class wearing their most comfy outfits.

The book is 10 chapters, has illustrations, and is just fun.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The issues that 6 year-olds have to deal with don't have to be serious to be good learning opportunities. There seem to be a plethora of these books nowadays -- are they responses to Junie B. Jones, loved by kids but not so much by teachers and parents worried about her grammar? I think the Anna Hibiscus series is my favorite (and not just because it's multicultural). But this and Violet Mackerel, Ruby Lu, and Alvin Ho are good, too.

Do you know others to recommend to me? These are quick 'comfort' reads for me, a nice pick-me-up.

I will read more in the series, and copy the bulk of this review into each.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posey's tattered tutu is a source of comfort and confidence, and she doesn't want to start first grade without it. I loved the quiet, thoughtful scenes and the lovely illustrations.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is about a little girl named Posey who is about to start 1st grade. She is scared but then runs into her teacher and sparks an idea. She wants to wear her princess tutu and she asks her teacher why not, so the teacher instates a first day of school parade where everyone can come dressed in their favorite costume/clothes/whatever. It eased her worries and let her be comfortable. Cute.

[Ellen]

My first grade girls enjoyed this.

[Taylor Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade is a super fun chapter book. It's a great introductory book for a student transitioning to longer reads. It also has a very important message for children who are developing a sense of self. Posey has her own special style and feels most comfortable wearing her favorite pink tutu. When she's invited by her new first grade teacher to come to school in her tutu she's instantly confident and thrilled to begin the school year. I love the message that wearing what makes you feel best is what's best for an individual.

(Gryphon Award winner)

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to some older boys in her neighborhood, Posey is very worried about the first day of first grade. In kindergarten she was allowed to have her mother escort her to class, but the older kids in her school have to say goodbye in the Kiss and Go lane of the parking lot, and then walk down the long hallway alone. It is this hallway that the big kids, Nick and Tyler, insist is inhabited by scary monsters and snakes. She knows the boys are teasing, but the scary images won't leave Posey's mind. Things change, though, after an unexpected meeting with her teacher, who is inspired by Posey's concerns to create a first day of school ritual - a parade! - sure to make things easier for everyone in her class.

What a wonderful early chapter book! For one thing, I just love the look of it. The type is nice and large, and leaves lots of room for Sisson's adorably sweet illustrations. Each chapter begins with a full-page heading, giving the chapter number enclosed in the outline of a flower. Chapter titles are set off from the beginning text of each chapter by a small flower icon and a bold, capitalized heading. The whole layout gives an upbeat and girly tone to the story.

The action of the story sticks close to home and school, settings that are familiar to the new reader, and comforting. The language is simple and easy to read, but still manages to tell a fresh-sounding story that kept my interest from beginning to end. This is a gentle, positive story about the changes brought about by a brand-new school year, and thanks to the supportive adults in Posey's life, by the time the first day of school arrives, she is more than ready to face her fears and tackle first grade.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is adorable. I wish little girls would read these instead of Junie B.

Bummed that I didn't know about this series sooner!

[SamZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

K (6) loves this beginning reader. I love that it is a chapter book that is both easily read by a 1st grader and not obnoxious at the same time!

[Kell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grand baby loved it, kept her entertained

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book to read out loud with my first grader. Looking forward to getting others in the series.

[Sophie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it because I was 1 grade above it,

[Kaitlyn Canerday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent choice for young readers. Particularly young girls. The authors use of everyday life of a first grade girl relates to the young reader on a personal level. For example, every young girl has something she is attached to. In this instance, Posey is attached to her tutu. Also, the questions in the back of the book engage the reader and help to create Posey as a real person. The questions tell something about Posey and then ask the reader questions that would relate to them.
This book, and the series that goes along with it, would be an excellent choice to keep in the classroom for children that are being newly introduced into chapter books. It is laid out very well for young eyes with the big font and introduction of new chapters being on individual pages. I enjoyed the story of how she was afraid to start the first grade, was teased about it, and overcame her fear before she even had her first day of first grade. The plot of the story is one that is easy to follow. As a future educator, I would recommend using this book to help young students move to the next level of reading.

[Connie Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade by Stephanie Greene is an adorable read! My First Graders enjoyed the specifics of Posey's life in this realistic fiction read. Beginning the school year as a First Grader, having a younger sibling in which they have to learn to share with, and the "Kiss-and-Go Lane", were all relatable items in their day-to-day lives. This book also provides character building discussions regarding the teasing that she receives from Nick and Tyler regarding the Monster of the Blue Hall and just how to handle that appropriately. It also works to support feelings of confidence when her new teacher allows the class to have a parade in which they wear something that makes them feel brave and special...and of course, Posey chooses her pink tutu. In the classroom, this is an excellent book as students look to transition from early reads to chapter books. I also found it easy and inviting as a longer read, where we would read a chapter or two a day, using recall skills to build on what we had already read. At the end of the book, there is a section entitled, "Posey's Pages". These questions prompt meaningful and thoughtful discussion for any first grader!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter asked some interesting questions when we were done with this book, like, "Why didn't the book talk about what actually happened at school, like in..." and then she listed off some other books. And that struck me, because I didn't think this was a bad book, but I definitely did not find it interesting, and I don't think my daughter did either. We actually read the second book before the first one, and I wasn't captivated by that one either. They're fine, it's just the plot is not extremely intriguing, and I can't quite put my finger on why. A girl is nervous about going to school. She meets her teacher at a store. The kids all get to wear whatever they want to the first day of school to help them feel comfortable. Okay.

[Gabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My child has been going to preschool/kindergarten for several years, on the same campus where her first grade would have been, so I realized she didn’t necessarily share Princess Posey’s fears of being left alone by her parents or having to enter a room full of strangers alone for the first time. The book not just entertained us on part of the long drive, but also prompted us to talk about her feelings about school.

Full review

[Lil Old Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned out to be the perfect book to read as my daughter was getting ready to start first grade. She had all the same jitters and nerves as Posey does, so she related a lot. The story is cute, the chapters are short, and lots of illustrations, so perfect for a bedtime story. Posey is so cute and feels super realistic as a 7-year-old. My daughter loved it so we will probably work our way through the series.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

Short but cute book about a teacher willing to make all the kids feel comfortable and have fun moving up a grade and no longer having their parents drop them off at school. I think my girls will like this one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mia and I finished this book last night! This is a GREAT beginning chapter book for kids going into first grade if they are looking to go beyond readers. Posey is relatable as are her fears about going to 1st grade.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming series for beginning readers, particularly girls. Fans of judy moody, clementine series would enjoy this. May be slightly easier then those so read it prior to those series?

[Nick Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute.

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely little chapter book about the anxiety connected to growing school independence.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so much fun to read this book with someone as their first chapter book! Added an element of excitement to the reading experience :)

[Fia Rapson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cause princess posey was good in the whole book. Danny blew a bubble. She went to school. She was nervous.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are great for a child who's moving on from Dr Seuss or Mo Willems books. Kiddo loved them when she was at that age.

[Leslie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 6 year old daughter loved this book and read it in one night!!

[Amy Seufert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book for kids starting first grade! Posey gains a little independence as she becomes brave enough to go to the first day of school.

[Chinook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kait and I enjoyed reading this and it fit perfectly into one bedtime session. We will definitely look for the others to read.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to share with my first grade granddaughter

She will love hearing about Posey. Her favorite thing is being a queen! I know she will love this story!