lizzie and the last day of school from sleeping bear press :: review

Today I get to share another fun book release from Sleeping Bear Press titled Lizzie and the Last day of School. Thinking back to my own childhood and the joys of the last day of school I expected this book to be about summer vacation, the excitement of the last day of school, summer plans, or well… pretty much the exact opposite of what actually was about!

You see, Lizzie is a little girl who LOVES school. She loved preschool, she loved kindergarten, and in the book we learn how she just loves 1st grade thanks to her fantastic teacher Miss Giggliano. Miss Giggliano has made 1st grade very wonderful for all her students and when the announcement is made that the following day will be the last day of school Lizzie is crushed. For a girl who loves school and learning as much as Lizzie taking a break is just depressing.

Do not fear that the book ends with a depressed first-grader, instead we learn of Lizzie’s new opportunity to continue learning (much to her excitement). Written by Trinka Hakes Noble and beautifully illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod this 32 page book os perfect for the recommended ages of 5-7.

What really made me love the book was how it opened up the eyes of my second-grader who currently likes to remind me on a daily basis that she Does. Not. Like. School. Seeing as how I’m her teacher (homeshooling) this may seem like an odd thing to say but Lizzie and the Last Day of School was a great way to have someone else, even a fictional someone else, show my daughter that school isn’t just about doing the work but also about the fun of learning. *lightbulb!*

Reading through the interaction of Lizzie and Miss G gave my kiddo a great comparison for school from what Lizzie experiences to what she experiences in her own schooling. I loved that Lizzie provided a lesson my daughter could easily understand to show her that liking school is just another way to say that you like learning.

Whether your little one dreads the last day of structured school for the summer or looks forward to it expectantly I think that there are some great lessons to be learned from Lizzie and the Last day of School about developing a love of learning.