When It's the Last Day Of School [Hardcover]

Maribeth Boelts (Author), Hanako Wakiyama (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

James can barely contain his excitement on the last day of school, but he vows to be good and get Mrs. Bremwood’s last gold sticker of the year. He’s determined not to talk during Silent Reading and he will get his drink at the water fountain properly and not spit out any of it because it’s warm. At lunch, he’ll take the wrapper off his straw and not blow it at his friend Tony, and he won’t show Tiffany how he can burp and talk at the same time. It’ll be a perfect day and at the end, after giving Mrs. Bremwood the biggest hug ever, he’ll EXPLODE!

When it comes to excited kids, not many days can compete with the last day of school. And this is the perfect book to cap off every school year—for kids and teachers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-James is determined to be on his best behavior on the last day of school. Filled with exuberance, he bounces from page to page, offering a litany of things that he will do differently: "I'll get my drink at the drinking fountain 1, 2, 3 and not spit the water back out because it's warm." He hopes to impress Mrs. Bremwood and receive "the last gold star sticker for the year." At lunch, he'll "thank the lady who always smiles at me, and even the one with the grumpy face, and I'll tell them that it's a good lunch, even if it's not." After receiving a hug from his teacher, James literally explodes off the final page, ready for a long, hot summer of frolicking with his friends. The boy and his classmates are depicted in orange, sepia-based tones that give the book a feeling of times past, though the action in the bold oil paintings keeps the story rooted in the present. Use this title to supplement Mark Teague's How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Knopf, 1997).-Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. James imagines the last day of school, when he'll do everything right for a change. He won't talk to Tony in class or smash his milk carton at lunch or show off his ability to talk and burp at the same time. He will thank the lady in the lunch line, do his work on time, and earn his teacher's final gold star sticker of the year. "And then . . . And then . . . I'll EXPLODE!!!!" The last two words of the book sound a bit alarming, but the illustration of James ecstatically catapulting out of school makes the meaning clear. James speaks for the many children who want to do things right in school but find it hard to settle down. With a stylized, retro look, the expressive illustrations feature simplified shapes, well-defined compositions, and the rhythm of repeated forms. Useful for those end-of-the-year teacher requests. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (March 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399234985
• ISBN-13: 978-0399234989
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maribeth Boelts lives in Iowa with her family and has been writing for children for almost 20 years. Her most recent titles, "Those Shoes" and "Before You Were Mine" have won a number of awards. Her picture book, "Happy Like Soccer" will be published May, 2012. A former teacher, Maribeth enjoys meeting and encouraging kids to read and write. "It is, in equal parts, an enthralling and confusing quest trying to crack the code on what makes a child pull a book off the shelf and continue turning the page. Figuring out what makes that same child laugh, feel understood or inspired is what keeps this career so interesting. I am grateful for every reader."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly appropriate and lots of fun!, May 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: When It's the Last Day Of School (Hardcover)

What a wonderful book! Well written and entertaining, it holds the readers' attention right up to the end. And what a sweet ending. My 6 year old son and I both loved it so much we gave it to his kindrgarten teacher, who read it on the last day of school. The whole class loved it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, June 13, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Spencer "Texas Teacher" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When It's the Last Day Of School (Hardcover)

I read this book to my four and five year old preschool class on our "last day of school party". It was a big hit! I thought the text of the book captured the EXACT feelings of those children who were SO ready for summer to be there. At the same time, it gently and subtly reinforced the idea that they needed to continue to control themselves and follow the rules. Wonderful, colorful, interesting pictures. An all-around FUN but educational book that I would HIGHLY reccomend for any teacher or parent facing the "end of the year wiggles".