First Year Letters

I alwasys start the year reading "First Day Jitters" to let the studetns know everyone is nervous about the first day of school and end the last day with "Last Day Blues" to let the students know its ok to be sad but that they will have fun over the summer. "First Year Letters" basically fills the void between those two books and shares with the class experiences and adventures through the teachers first year. My students loved the story and the illustrations.

This is a hilarious book and a must read for any first year teacher. A beautifully illustrated reminder that in teaching (no matter how long you have been doing it) things do not always turn out as expected. It is a wonderful book to read on a day when nothing has gone well. My students also loved this book and it was a great introduction to letter writing. A great companion book is "First Day Jitters" by the same author and illustrator.

Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell is back, in this sequel to "First Day Jitters." On the first day of school, she sets up a mailbox for her students and the rest of the school staff to post letters to her. As the year unfolds, via the letters, the reader learns of all the important adventures and learning that occur in her classroom during her first year of teaching. There's the disastrous field trip, the unexpected visits from the firefighter, the observations by the principal, and the problems with snacks and classroom pets. The full color illustrations expand the detail offered in the letters. Some of the letters are shown in their childish handwriting, and there is a huge improvement in penmanship skills between the beginning and the end of the year. The others are typeset, which makes the reading easier. This is a delightful sequel, just as funny as the first book. Read First Day Jitters to a class during the first week of school, then save this one to read to the same group during the last week of school. Students and teachers will all wish they could be in Mrs. Hartwell's class!

FIRST YEAR LETTERS is a great sequel to Julie Danneberg's best selling FIRST DAY JITTERS. Filled with humor, charm and wonderful illustrations this is a must for teachers, especially those who wonder if they'll ever survive that first year of teaching! I had the opportunity to hear Ms. Danneberg read FIRST YEAR LETTERS to teachers at an International Reading Association conference and they LOVED it. The line to get copies autographed went on and on....