A Welcome Back Book
I’ve been reading Farfallina & Marcell by Holly Keller with my first & second grade classes for a couple years and I like it more and more. It’s an easy read for the age group, so it eases them back into sitting still and listening to a story. And it’s got a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, which gives the kids a chance to revisit last year’s monarch studies.
But what makes it right on target for a first day of school read is the way it leads into good conversations about friendships. The characters are consistently considerate of each other and treat each other well. When they meet again after each has grown and changed, neither recognizes their friend at first. Which gives us a chance to look around at our pals and see how much we’ve all grown, plus reminds us to play nice.
And what kid wouldn’t like saying Farfallina out loud?
I like it. It’s another of the millions of titles that seem to have flown under the radar, so I like to share it.