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Do I Have to Go to School?: A First Look at Starting School ISBN: 9780750252874
Harker, Lesley and Thomas, Pat
Published by Wayland, 2008
One of a series of highly reassuring books about various issues children may face. In this one we learn we are about to go on 'a big adventure'. There will be new people to meet and things to learn, but 'best of all you will still be home in time to play before dinner.' This is an important point and one I've not seen before in a book about starting school. Worries are admitted, and we are told that we might even wonder why school is necessary as we are learning things already. But it is the wider world outside the family that makes learning fun and interesting, and that is where school comes in. We are told about different activities and that we may need to get up earlier than before. Parents won't stay with us at school, but there will be lots to tell them about when we get home. There will be some new rules, but the old ones like saying 'please' and 'thank you' will still be important, as well as sharing and being kind. Food feeds bodies and learning feeds minds and both are important - as is this book! It's a refreshing and unusual approach to starting school, and the illustrations are warm and reassuring. Two pages of excellent advice to parents and carers are given at the end, as well as a list of further books to read and a few further resources for adults.
Age: 4+