Monsters First Day at School, written by Karen Bell-Brege, illustrated by Darrin Brege, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Anna S.
Summary: Monsters First Day at School follows monsters around through their first day of school at Beastly Elementary. When they first get to school, they go to class and their teacher sends Bigfoot to the bathroom to brush his fur. Then they go to lunch, where the misbehaved gremlins make a mess and have to clean it up. After lunch, they go outside to play. All the monsters slide down Champ’s long back but it starts hurting, so a Thunderbird steps in to defend him. After recess, they go to the media center to find books they might want to read. The aliens say they don’t like reading, but the media specialist tells them that it’s more fun to read books on topics that are interesting to them. Next, the monsters head to art class. The zombies paint with their fingers detached, but it’s not the teacher’s place to tell them how to express themselves. Finally, they ride the bus home. The bus driver makes sure that everyone stays in their seats for safety purposes. When they get to their stop, they hug their parents and tell them about how wonderful their day was.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book teaches kids that school can be fun. The gremlins at lunch teach kids to be responsible and pick up after themselves. When the monsters go outside and start playing on Champ’s back, the thunderbird teaches kids that friends appreciate it when you stand up for them when they’re shy, uncomfortable, or unable to do so themselves. The media specialist teaches the reader (along with the aliens) that reading is more enjoyable when you like the topic you’re reading about. The zombies in art class doing their own thing teaches kids how to think outside the box and come up with their own unique ways to do things. Finally, the bus driver telling the ghosts on the bus to take their seats and stay safe communicates the same message to the readers. This book could be very useful in language arts. It can be used for a series of things within that subject, such as teaching kids about rhyme. Some of the words included in the book, such as “exemplary” and “scampered”, are new for younger children and are good for expanding their vocabulary. It is also a good introduction to mythical creatures (that are not scary). The book is overall very fun and entertaining. On top of that, the bright and amusing illustrations can help keep the readers engaged. This book would be a perfect read-aloud for the first day of school at any grade level. It could also be a great book to read aloud during Random Acts of Kindness week because of the kindness depicted throughout the book.