Molly Rides the School Bus Story by Julie Brillhart Books

Molly Rides the School Bus

by Julie Brillhart

ISBN:978-0807552100

Pages:32 pages

Price:$16.99

Formats: Library Binding

Reading and Interest Level:Preschool and up.

Genre and Theme: Realistic fiction talking about entering a new environment, learning the rules of a new place, and overcoming fear.

Annotation: Molly is afraid to ride the bus because she doesn't know how everything works. Luckily, there's another girl to show here how everything works.

Summary: Molly has never been on a school bus before and is very scared. She almost loses her teddy bear, she doesn't know where to sit, or how anything works. Then a nice girl, a fourth grader named Ruby, helps Molly get her teddy bear back and sits next to her. On the way to school, Ruby reassures Molly that the bus is somethig you can get used to, and it isn't hard or scary.

Evaluation: A sweet first day of school-type book about finding an older mentor and understanding that new things are usually only the scary the first time.

What makes this book special? The multi-ethnic cast and realistic scenario help make this book special.

Bibliotherpeutic Uses (if applicable): This book could be helpful to read with a child who is afraid to take the bus or try something new.

Story Time Ideas: A good first day of school book, this one could also be read before a field trip to help kids who are nervous about a new experience. Might go good coupled with an activity where children talk about the first time they time they tried something new that made them nervous.

Goes Good With:

Countdown to Kindergarten

Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come by Nancy Carlson

Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Author's Website:http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Brillhart/e/B001KHSPYU

Awards and Professional Reviews:

From School Library Journal

"Preschool-Kindergarten–It is Molly's first day of kindergarten and she is worried about riding the bus with all the big kids. Mom reassures her and sends her off with her bear and a hug, but she drops the stuffed toy before she finds an empty seat. After a few tosses in the air, it ends up in the lost-and-found box, where it is rescued by one of the older children and returned to Molly. Illustrated rules for riding the bus and a page that labels the driver's section conclude the book. Brillhart's story is a little different from the usual "first day of kindergarten" offerings, since it ends at the front door before classes begin. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations clearly show Molly's feelings and the ethnic diversity of the school. However, they are very busy, including extraneous details, and the text is sometimes on top of the color, making it difficult to read. In addition, the text is a bit long for preschool listeners."
Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Kirkus Review

"A reassuring tale perfect for introducing the concept of riding the bus before the big day arrives." — Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2002

From the Publisher (Albert Whitman & Company)

"Julie Brillhart's story will help reassure any young bus rider who is heading off to the first day of school."

Why I Chose This Book: When I was younger, I had a friend who was afraid to go on field trips because she never knew what to expect. She had trouble articulating this fear, and I think a book like this could have really helped her.

Other Notes: It has a good "Ruby's Ten Tips for Riding the School Bus" section in the back that may be helpful printed out and distributed.

Molly Rides the School Bus Story by Julie Brillhart Books

Source: https://rebeccasacademicblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/molly-rides-the-school-bus-by-julie-brillhart/