Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2020 *Starred Review* A first-grader goes from bundle of nerves on the first day of school to, by the hundredth, a confident young learner with a fund of well-earned knowledge and social skills. Parceling out the story into 19 chapters equally suitable for sessions of reading aloud or for solo readers ready for chapter books, Jenkins tracks her young Brooklynite’s course a day at a time. Through short sentences of natural-sounding dialogue and present-tense reflections, Harry faces challenges ranging from tricky relationships with his tablemates to a fear of guinea pigs. Along with the occasional splash of puke or spill of water, the class goes through a round of nondenominational holiday celebrations and guided discussions of why Columbus Day and Thanksgiving aren’t celebrated by everyone, along with interchanges on topics ranging from diverse family customs to the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra. All of this is infused with the author’s characteristic, multileveled tongue-in-cheek humor and even some satiric tweaks—there's a mock race for class president between one puppet who promises to help with schoolwork and another who only says, “Cupcakes every day. Yum yum yum.” (Guess the winner.) Jenkins also distinguishes actual pedagogy from her own inventions in appreciative closing notes. The provided samples of Oswald’s color illustrations depict a diverse mix of bright-eyed human figures in full page, realistically drawn settings, along with frequent vignettes and spot art. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 06/01/2020 K-Gr 3—Six-year-old Harry Bergen-Murphy is endearing, earnest, and anxious. He lives in Brooklyn with his single mother and attends the public school just a few blocks away with his older sister, Charlotte. Harry is about to start first grade and he's worried about mean kids, teachers who yell, and scary guinea pigs. Short chapters perfectly portray the first 100 days of his first grade year with all its glorious ups and downs, from where to sit at lunch to tackling the tricky silent "e" to what 100 items he will share on the hundredth day of school. Jenkins depicts first grade dialogue and dynamics with honesty and affection. The full-color, cartoonish art depicts a variety of classroom and neighborhood scenes that reflect the diversity of the characters. VERDICT This appealing chapter book is a terrific addition to any 100-day narrative collection. It is perfectly tailored for a read-aloud and is bound to be a favorite.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill M.S., Closter, NJ - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.