Third Grade Baby [Hardcover]

Jenny Meyerhoff (Author), Jill Weber (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Polly Peterson knows that baby teeth are for babies like her little brother, Max. And yet she’s the only kid in her third grade class who hasn’t lost a single one. Her best friends, Oliver and Amelia, try to make her feel better, but it’s hard to be cheerful when Zachary, the new boy at school, starts calling her Babyteeth. As if that weren’t bad enough, Polly worries about what to do when she finally does lose a tooth. Can third graders leave teeth under their pillows? Or is the tooth fairy also just for babies?



In this charming and funny book filled with exuberant illustrations, Polly learns that true growth isn’t measured by the teeth we lose, but rather by the friendships we gain.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–3—Polly's first day in third grade includes filling out a giant graph of how many baby teeth each student has lost. Polly is the only one who hasn't lost any, so Zachary, a new boy, teases her by calling her "Babyteeth." The next day, when she loses her tooth, she is hopeful that she's not too old for a visit from the tooth fairy. The first night, though, the tooth fairy forgets to come. Polly lies to Zachary that the tooth fairy brought a picture of herself. The second night, Polly takes a picture of the tooth fairy, who looks a lot like her mom. The girl has been observing that Zachary is alone at recess, and she befriends him. A cheerful, black-and-white cartoon drawing appears in each chapter. This ordinary story has some character development as Polly realizes that Zachary doesn't know how to socialize with her effectively.—Debbie S. Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI
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From Booklist

Polly is the only third-grader who has not lost even one baby tooth. Maybe her baby brother's babyishness is contagious and is making her a baby, too. At last Polly's loose tooth finally does come out, but she worries if she is too old for a visit from the tooth fairy. With occasional, cheerful, full-page black-and-white drawings, this debut effort gets the young grade-schooler’s viewpoint just right, at school and at home. Polly feels bad that she is mean to Zachary, the lonely new kid in class, even if he does tease her about the tooth fairy. Then there is the drama over the tooth fairy’s identity. Polly even sets up a camera to catch the night visitor in action. Readers will recognize, though, that she has guessed the truth all along. The mixed feelings are all authentic: Polly’s love and jealousy of her baby brother, her reaching out to the lonely kid, and especially her longing to hold on to the childish fantasy. Grades 2-4. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374374821
• ISBN-13: 978-0374374822
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,917,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too, October 19, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Third Grade Baby (Hardcover)

Polly Peterson can't believe that she hasn't lost any teeth yet. She is the only kid in the third grade that still has all of her baby teeth. If that wasn't bad enough, Polly is also the shortest kid in the third grade.

It is only a matter of time before the new boy, Zachary, starts giving her a hard time and calls her Babyteeth. Polly is humiliated and does everything she can to help her tooth get loose and fall out.

Her parents don't understand. They hardly even know that Polly is there. Polly's baby brother, Max, is teething, and he cries constantly and uses up her parents time.

Once her first tooth does fall out, Polly thinks everything will work out. She can't wait for the tooth fairy to come and bring her something amazing. Something she can brag to her classmates about. Will it be money? Something better?

Only the tooth fairy doesn't come that night. Soon, Polly gets caught up in a huge lie that she told to cover up the fact that the tooth fairy forgot her.

THIRD GRADE BABY is a great story for any kid who feels that they just aren't like all the other kids in school or any kid who is tempted to exaggerate the truth.

One word of warning to parents...if your kiddo still believes in the tooth fairy, this may not be the book for them as her existence is challenged and accepted as false by most of the characters. Other than that, THIRD GRADE BABY was a fun book for the whole family to share (a parent, an emerging reader, and a listener).

Reviewed by: JodiG.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids loved it!, September 27, 2008

By 

Michael Montgomery (Lincolnwood, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Third Grade Baby (Hardcover)

We got this book today and my kids (2 boys ages 11 and 7) really loved it. They both have already read it (for the first time) and thought it was terrific. I enjoyed the message of the book and the way the author has brought these characters to life. Both boys were talking about Polly and her teeth!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plus she's a great presenter!, February 18, 2010

By 

M. Sanchez "Teacher" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Third Grade Baby (Hardcover)

My students have really enjoyed this book as a read-aloud following Ms. Meyerhoff's presentation at out school. Written from a child's point of view, the author shows great insight to which children can relate. You know what it was like - you feel like everyone's aware of what you perceive is your biggest flaw.
Beyond the quality of her writing I must also add that Ms. Meyerhoff's presentation had the students spellbound while she taught them to organize their writing. She spoke to primary and intermediate grades and they LISTENED! Her idea's are great - effective and efficient and easy to implement. No, I'm not her agent, I'm a public school teacher. I highly recommend inviting her to your school!