Product Description

On the first day of second grade at her new school, Pa Lia Vang discovers that things are not as bad as she had feared.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1960597 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 56 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This first book in the Jackson Friends chapter book series introduces Pa Lia Vang on her first day of second grade as a new girl at Jackson Magnet School. In plain language, Edwards (Chicken Man) describes the universal experience of the start of classes: "Jackson Magnet smelled just like the first day of school. Pa Lia could smell new shoes, new pencils, and clean floors." Any student who has suffered from school jitters will identify with Pa Lia's nervous dawdling while her brother walks her to school and recognize the feeling of a mouth "stuffed with cotton" and a stomach "filled with a thousand fluttering butterflies." She soon meets an amiable classmate, Calliope, who guides her to their room, and Calliope's jealous best friend, Howie ("Howardina Geraldina Paulina Maxina Gardenia Smith"), who initially refuses to speak to her but whom Pa Lia wins over by day's end. The requisite standbys are all here (Matthew "Stinky" Stern farts in class and calls the bespectacled Pa Lia "four-eyes"), but black-and-white illustrations that mix reality with Pa Lia's wishful and fearful thoughts add some spunk. Ages 6-9. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Grade 1-3-Pa Lia Vang's first day of second grade starts out a little rough. Her new school, Jackson Magnet, is huge and intimidating and her brother leaves her to find her classroom on her own. When she's rescued by a classmate, Calliope, the day starts to improve, but Howie (short for Howardina), Calliope's best friend, wants nothing to do with the new girl. And then Pa Lia gets all three of them in trouble by passing notes in class. Though she tells their teacher that the incident was her fault, she is convinced that Howie and Calliope will never like her now. But they think that the new girl was brave to tell the truth, and she has two friends before she knows it. Pa Lia is believably insecure and frightened, and Howie is wonderfully skeptical of inviting the unknown newcomer into her safely established friendship with Calliope. The seesaw of events, going from good to bad to good again, is realistic of any first-day experience. The simple text, large print, short chapters, and illustrations will appeal to beginning chapter-book readers. Both small and full-page illustrations show the multicultural diversity of Jackson Magnet; the three girls are definite individuals, each very different, yet equally appealing. A good start to a new series.
Linda Bindner, formerly at Athens Clarke County Library, GA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A simple story about starting school and making friends. Pa Lia Vang's treacherous first day at Jackson Magnet School begins badly; she not only has difficulty finding her classroom, but Matthew ``Stinky'' Stern, the ``enemy of the second grade,'' happens to be in her class. The teacher, Mrs. Fennessey, doesn't appreciate Pa Lia's giggling in class, while the humorous notes Pa Lia passes to Howardina and Calliope serve to get all three of them in trouble. In the end, it's Pa Lia's act of publicly owning up to her mistake and getting the others off the hook that secures new friendships and acceptance among her peers. Edwards's winning black-and-white illustrations capture the feelings of desolation, fear, embarrassment, and joy associated with first days, while the prose, composed with emerging readers in mind, yields up events briskly and concisely. (Fiction. 6-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

A great first of the year reading!
"Pa Lia's First Day" is a great beginning-of-the-year story for primary students. This is particularly true if you are lucky enough to have Hmong students. My class, which is usually about half Hmong, always gets excited that the book has a Hmong name in it and one of the main characters is Hmong. Why? Because it is extremely unusual. By the time they reach me, they've read many books with quite traditional names, but often have never read a book that has a name similar to their name.

Besides, and equally important, it's a great book to start the year off with. The story is about being new in the school and how Pa Lia feels about her situation.

Great book!

Students relate to Pa Lia
On her first day in a new school Pa Lia couldn't find her classroom, was knocked down by a bully, and got into trouble for passing notes. She felt alone and was afraid she wouldn't make new friends. My E.S.L. students really related to Pa Lia's feelings of being alone. This book makes an outstanding focal point for a thematic unit on friendship or on feelings. It provides a springboard for class discussions on how it feels to be the new student in a class . The figurative language in this book is especially beautiful and was well illustrated by author/illustrator Michelle Edwards.

Pa Lia's First Day
It's a simple chapter book about a girl going to a new school. I'm reading it to my 3rd grade ESL class and they love it. They can relate to it very well and it opens up a lot of good conversation about different feelings.