Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books [Hardcover]

Diane Degroat (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

It's the first day of first grade! Gilbert is excited and nervous at the same time. He has new school supplies -- but he'll also get a new teacher, and new kids in his class. Will the teacher be nice? Will Patti still be his best friend?

In this humorous and reassuring story by Diane deGroat, Gilbert learns that first grade is not what he had expected. Lewis is a bully, and Philip already knows how to read big fat books! But Mrs. Byrd is nice, and she helps Gilbert discover that everyone has his or her own special talent.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this prequel to deGroat's series of Gilbert tales (Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo), the earnest young opossum survives—quite easily—his first day of first grade. As in the earlier stories, the author convincingly exposes her hero's emotions, which here are in tune with those experienced by any fledgling first grader. Gilbert is fearful that his teacher won't be nice and, in the classroom, he is embarrassed when he sits at the wrong desk and, at lunch, is afraid that he'll get sent to the principal if he doesn't eat his food. The narrative incorporates some equally true-to-life incidents that would comfort a new student (e.g., sitting by himself in the cafeteria, Gilbert is finally joined by a boy who has "the exact same Martian Space Pilot lunchbox" as he does). And deGroat reassuringly reveals that nobody is good at everything (Philip can read but can't climb a ladder at recess, and Lewis, a good climber, clumsily spills paint on his desk). Perhaps due to its lower-key setting (other capers have Halloween and Valentine's Day themes), this has less spark and wit than some of its predecessors. DeGroat's cheerful art serves up endearing portraits of Gilbert, though several of the busier scenes appear curiously washed out. Ages 4-8. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Gilbert, a hedgehog, is excited but fearful about starting first grade. He walks to school with his friend, Patti, who is quickly drawn to another female student. As the teacher passes out the spelling and reading books, Gilbert decides that, …first grade was going to be hard! Besides, there are so many rules to remember. At lunchtime, he sits alone, but Mrs. Byrd puts Frank, a raccoon, next to him, and the two boys find that they have a lot in common. As the students pursue various activities, Gilbert discovers that they all have their own talents, and that no one is good at everything. On the way home, Gilbert and Patti agree that Mrs. Byrd is nice and that they have both made new friends, although Patti reassures Gilbert that he is still her friend. With its charming, detailed watercolor illustrations, this story has significant child appeal. Youngsters entering kindergarten or first grade would enjoy listening to it and perusing the realistically styled pictures either one-on-one or in a group. A useful addition, but not a first purchase.–Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (July 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006072613X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060726133
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,409,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diane deGroat is the illustrator of more than 120 children's books and the author-illustrator of other bestselling books about Gilbert, including Mother, You're the Best! (But Sister, You're a Pest!); Last One in Is a Rotten Egg!; Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet; Jingle Bells, Homework Smells; Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo; No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!; Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books; and the New York Times bestseller roses are pink, your feet really stink. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cute, August 27, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books (Hardcover)

Gilbert is getting ready to go to first grade. He is very worried about a lot of things. He's worried that his teacher won't be nice. He wonders if he will get into trouble for not eating all his lunch. As the day goes by he finds out that as long as he follows that rules that he teach has things will be fine. He even learns to read better and is able to read to his younger sister.


What did you like or not like about the book?

Children everywhere will identify with his sorrow when the day doesn't go as planned, and will also feel relief when everything turns out all right in the end.


I would recommend this book to kids who are going to first grade. They might have some of the same feelings that the main character in the book has.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, May 16, 2010

By 

LLM "teach" (Deep South) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books (Hardcover)

Love the book. Use it the first week of school with my new class. I can come up with loads of activities using this book. Love Diane deGroat.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gilbert, October 6, 2007

By 

A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books (Paperback)

Let me tell you a feel-good story. It involves love - the love of a mother for her daughter, and a child's passionate, exhilarated, uncomplicated love for books. This is the true story of Deb Raymer, and her daughter Sabrina, and how I came to know them. This holiday season, I am grateful that Deb has shared parts of her story, and that through her mom, Sabrina has shared a wonderful cast of characters previously unknown to me.

A couple of months ago, Deb asked me to help her find a series of books. All Sabrina wants for Christmas is "Gilbert". Deb needed to order multiple copies of each book in the collection, she explained. Sabrina loves the "Gilbert" books so much, that she reads them to pieces. Literally. While I am always thrilled to see someone who loves books that much, that's not even the best part of the story. Sabrina is mentally and physically handicapped. She has a job at Partners in Progress that she enjoys. Whenever she rides to work on the bus, she has a "Gilbert" book - or two, or three - in her bag, and she "reads" them to the other passengers. Sabrina has memorized her favorite books. Her mother needs to keep buying new copies of them because Sabrina pages through them so much and so often that they fall apart.

Gilbert, the hedgehog, and his sister Lola, are creations from the paintbrush and pen of Diane de Groat. This author/illustrator started working in children's literature by doing the artwork for some well-known children's authors, such as Lois Lowry and Eve Bunting. De Groat started on her Gilbert series in 1996 with "Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink", which is still Sabrina's favorite.

I hadn't heard of de Groat, and Deb gave my literary ego a boost by reassuring me that I'm not alone. Often, when Deb and Sabrina have searched for Gilbert in libraries and bookstores, he is nowhere to be found. So, it's time to spread the word. Diane de Groat has created a fun, inexpensive series with sympathetic characters, situations that kids can relate to, and a little lesson that doesn't come across like a 2"x 4" to the forehead. The titles themselves produce a smile for kids and adults alike. Now there's a Gilbert for every season in a child's life. A reader can start school with Gilbert in "Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books" and end the school year with the companion volume, "No More Pencils, No More Books! No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!" In these final months of the year, we have been enjoying "We Gather Together, Now Please Get Lost" for Thanksgiving, and "Jingle Bells, Homework Smells" for Christmas.

The Gilbert books have been so successful that now his sister Lola has her own series, books for slightly younger children, that often include Gilbert, but from Lola's point-of-view. When Lola can't decide what to be for Halloween, she finally decides to be "a Gilbert", because she knows he's an original. I think Sabrina and Lola are on to something good.

Author,"Hobo Finds A Home"