The Last Day of School

by Louise Borden, Adam Gustavson (Illustrator)

Overview

The shool year is coming to an end, and everyone at Albert E. Chapman Elementary School is counting down, including Mrs. Mallory's third grade class. In the last weeks of school there is much to be done, from putting away supplies to cleaning out desks to finding a summer home for the class pet, Rhoda.
Now — finally — the last day is here! Matthew Perez, one of Mrs. Mallory's students, has a perfect good-bye gift for his teacher, and he can't wait to give it to her. But when is the right time? Not in the morning when other kids are giving their gifts. Not during the Last Day fun of kickball and ice-cream treats. Will Matt get his chance before the school day is over?
The last Day of School will resonate with all children who know the excitement, energy, and bittersweet emotions that the final days of a school year bring.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689868696
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	03/01/2006
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Louise Borden graduated from Denison University with a degree in history. She taught first graders and preschoolers and later was a part-owner of a bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to writing children’s books, she also speaks regularly to young students about the writing process. Her books include Good Luck, Mrs. K!, which won the Christopher Medal, and The A+ Custodian. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you can visit her at LouiseBorden.com.

Adam Gustavson is a graduate of Rowan University and the Master of Fine Arts Illustration program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. In addition to illustrating picture books, he currently teaches at Passaic County Community College and Seton Hall University. He lives and paints in West Orange, New Jersey, with his wife, their children, several guitars, and a ferret named Gracie.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2-4-From giant lollipops given to the kids with perfect attendance, last day treats and poems, and shirts that say "Summer!" to a vacation-home raffle for Rhoda the hamster, the students of Chapman Elementary-"wiggly kindergartners to cool fifth graders"-say good-bye to another school year. Third-grader Matthew Perez holds a special gift for his teacher until the final seconds of an unforgettable day. His wish to wait until the final bell creates a last flutter of "missing-a-good-friend panic" as he comes close to losing his chance to give the gift before his bus leaves. Varied sizes of colorful oil illustrations accompany the tale of Matt's patient delivery of the perfect gift. True to a child's remembrance of final school days, each page recalls memorable moments for students and teachers.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

It's June 4th at Albert E. Chapman Elementary, and time to bring the school year to an end. Third-grader Matthew Perez has a goodbye gift for his teacher, Mrs. Mallory, but nerves and multiple interruptions delay the giving till the end of the day. The story introduces a nice cross-section of students, a crazy group of cafeteria workers and a friendly classroom hamster named Rhoda. Borden's prose is accomplished but accessible: The narrative resembles free verse, several stanzas to a page. Many of these crisply depict images from the year that Matthew or Mrs. Mallory will carry with them through the summer months: The giant lollipops that sit in a mug on the school secretary's desk, the classroom clock that scratches the minutes by, the BZZZZZZZ of the final final bell. Gustavson's realistic illustrations resemble oil paintings, and include many evocative details. (Picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews