First Grade Jitters

In Quackenbush’s story about a nervous would-be first-grader, first published in 1982, Aidan doesn’t want to admit that his crankiness has anything to do with the upcoming school year. But when he wonders whether his kindergarten friends will be there, or what his new teacher will be like, he gets scared. After his friends bring news about what to expect, Aidan gradually discovers that he’s more eager than afraid. Quackenbush’s story holds up well and is made all the more fresh by Nascimbene’s paintings (Aidan wears Chuck Taylors and a spiky haircut), which capture his shift from anxiety to excitement about the coming changes. Ages 5–7. (July)