Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner

by Amy Schwartz

Although some of the things her older sister taught her at home seem a little unusual at school, other lessons help make Annabelle's first day in kindergarten a success.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Amy Schwartz is the author and illustrator of many picture books for children, including Begin at the Beginning; Things I Learned in Second Grade; Bea and Mr. Jones, a Reading Rainbow feature; What James Likes Best, recipient of the 2004 Charlotte Zolotow Award; and a glorious day. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband Leonard S. Marcus, and their son, Jacob.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book about a little girl starting kindergarten was a pretty good read. I liked the illustrations for the book. They were simple, but somehow managed to convey the exact emotion needed for any particular page. Going to school for the first time can be scary for any young child. Sometimes having an older sibling can be very helpful. I like that this book shows the strong bond between two sisters. It also shows how important it is for an older sister to be a good role model and look out or her younger siblings. The only reason I would not read this book to my children or my classroom is because it refers to Annabelle's friend as "the chubby boy". I find this very inappropriate for a children's book. They should have made a name for the boy instead. Over all the illustrations and story go very well together.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was reading this book to my daughters, ages 4 and 7, and we could not finish it because it’s terrible. Here is what i had an issue with:

The mother instructing the older child to “show the teacher who’s boss.” As an educator I find that offensive.

The author describes one of the kindergarten children as “chubby” over and over and over again. I informed my daughters that we don’t talk about people’s bodies that way and we all agreed that we did not want to finish this book.

We read something else and called it a night. I don’t recommend.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for this book. The second-hand embarrassment for poor Annabelle on her first day of school was too much. Also, repeatedly referring to her only friend as "the chubby boy" was a bit in bad taste. The end brought things together nicely though as Annabelle learned to make her own choices about how to behave and she was rewarded by the teacher for her interests. It wasn't the worst book I've read, but the beginning dragged on and the second-hand embarrassment was too much for me.

[Carson Ellisor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Annabelle Swift is about to start kindergarten. In preparation for her first day, her older sister, Lucy, trains Annabelle for school by giving her tips and skills to succeed in kindergarten. On her first day, Annabelle uses the advice and knowledge given by her sister in class, but she quickly realizes through embarrassment that the training given to her by her sister was not approved by Mr. Blum, her teacher, or her peers. Annabelle will have find a way to use her unique training from Lucy to flourish in her class. 

Theme: There are several themes in this book, including: building self-esteem at school, trust, and confidence in one’s uniqueness. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Personal Response: I enjoyed this book, especially because of Annabelle’s caring and thoughtful older sister. She helps to prepare Annabelle for kindergarten which many children desire to have before going to school. The book’s illustrations are older, however they are still vibrant and diverse. Overall, I think this books gives young children an opportunity to put themselves in the role of Annabelle on her first day and become confident in themselves as they anticipate school.

Why I recommend: I would highly recommend this book. It is applicable for many students who are nervous to start school, especially around the lesson of building self-esteem as a student. The illustrations appear older, but the book is still very inclusive and encouraging for children. This book would be great for children before entering kindergarten or as a read a loud.

[Heidi Burkhart]

I read this years ago, many times to kinders and preschool students. Schwartz is a terrific author and I am a fan of her illustrations as well.

What a darling book but sadly over the years it hasn’t aged extremely well. There are no glaring problems but referring to one boy in the class several times as “chubby” is not acceptable any longer. Also half day kindergarten sessions no longer exist. It’s unlikely that one child would be sent out of the classroom alone with milk money to carry back 18 cartons of milk on their own.

If you chose to read it, just keep in mind the spirit in which it was written in 1988.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at my parents house while sick and this one did make me cry. It was a gift to my younger sibling when they started kindergarten so it features an older sibling who gives anabelle tons of ridiculous advice and makes her feel embarrassed but also taught her to count to 100 and that's a mood and a half. It made me weep bc she got to be so proud of herself by the end. I AM a sap and a sucker for sibling stories

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annabelle is heading for her first day of kindergarten. Her older sister, Lucy, prepares her to be the best kindergartner she can be. This works in some ways but not in others. Readers will appreciate the humor as she tries to fit in and enjoy how the other students support her when she counts the milk money. This is an older book and it shows.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a little girl entering kindergarten, and using techniques given to her from her older sister. The story was a bit wordy.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

wanted to like it. didn't like that "the chubby boy" was called "the chubby boy" repeatedly

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

An older book that feels off-kilter, not to mention problematic. LFL find and back it goes; I can see some value for some readers.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Some vocabulary but not necessary. Good lessons with the sister. Funny. I think it's a little long but my Kinders liked it fine. We read it at snack time.

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to training from her experienced big sister, Annabelle Swift is ready for her first day of Kindergarten. However things don’t go as smoothly as anticipated for Annabelle. Her classmates laugh at her when she stands up and introduces herself as “Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner.” In fact when her teacher asks the class to identify the color light blue and she says “Blue Desire” (her sister uses her mother’s makeup to teach her colors) Annabelle starts doubting her sister’s advice. That is of course until it’s time for lunch. Annabelle becomes the first ever milk money counter on the first day of Kindergarten and her sister’s training pays off in the end.

Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner is written and illustrated by Amy Schwartz. This book is written for students in grades K-3. I believe this would be a great read aloud for students on the first day of school. Students would be able to make a text-to- self-connection with the main character and with each other.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun story about a girl named Annabelle Swift who is about to start kindergarten. She feels like she is ready, but her older sister decides to give her a few pointers. When Annabelle gets to school, armed with the knowledge she received from her sister, she finds out that her sister wasn't always correct. She finds out that the best way to do school is by being herself.
This book can teach children that they don't need to be worried about the first day of kindergarten, they can all learn together and just be themselves.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annabelle Swift gets a crash course in kindergarten from her older sister. Once the day begins she seems to think her sister gave her some bad advice. At the end of the day, things start to come together and she's enjoying the lessons and kindergarten. I thought the illustrations were well drawn, but I didn’t feel as though the added to or took away from the story.

I thought this was a nice story to use for kindergartener to prep them for their first few days of school. I would read it aloud and ask the students if their siblings told them anything to prepare then for their first day.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this out because I remembered enjoying it when I was in elementary school, and it seemed apt, with our oldest starting kindergarten. Both he and the three year old really liked it and asked for it to be reread a couple times.

While some details have definitely changed (most noticeably, the price of milk--although I'm impressed by how cheap milk still is!), the story has held up well over time. Annabelle's nervousness about starting kindergarten, her frustration when her sister Lucy's advice turns out to be unhelpful, and her eventual chance to shine still resonate.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story talks about Annabelle and how she is feeling about her first day of school, while her older sister is helping her along with her day and telling her what to do. Throughout the day Annabelle comes across different obstacles that she faces with the help of her sister.

I liked how the booked showed it was okay for the students to be scared about their first day in a new class or new school.
Questions- How did you feel on your first day of school?
What would you tell Annabelle if she was your little sister?

[Lauren Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz highlights a students first day of kindergarten and how she get tips from her older sister before hand that helps her in the long run. This book is a realistic fiction and is appropriate for Pre-K to first grade children. Children going from Pre-K to kindergarten could relate to this story. The guided reading level for this book is a level N. This story is a good read for children who are starting school.

[Rakisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

On her first day of kindergarten, Annabelle Swift finds out that her older sister has mis-prepared her except in one area--counting. It's a sweet and funny book that both children and parents will appreciate. When Annabelle's sister uses the names on her mother's make-up containers to touch colors, I was in stitches. It's even funnier when Annabelle tells her teacher the names of the colors!

[Sharon Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

ages 4-6
read aloud
transitional
problem realism
repetition/ strong text&illustration interaction
Annabelle thinks she is ready for kindergarten. Her older sister has set her up. Annabelle encounters unexpected challenges as a result

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan of Annabelle referring to her new friend as "the chubby boy" while never bothering to learn his name. I did like the way her math skills earned her praise and a special honor on her first day of kindergarten.

[Alfajirikali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny story about an older sister coaching a younger one on how to succeed in kindergarten.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a big fan of a book that calls annabelle's friend at kindergarten "the chubby boy". hello!? how did this end up on the top 100?!?!

[Annabelle]

(Annabelle loves books and movies with her name in them, so we had to pick this one up at the library)

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter's name is Annabelle and my nurse in the hospital recommended this book to me. It's very cute and I can't wait to read it with her when she is school-age.

[Kjartan A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book about a girl starting kindergarten! This is such a relevant topic that I could easily present to my class with entuasism and joy!!

[Savanna Williams]

Recommended by woman at Red Mountain Elementary

[Mina Saeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can be used to teach:
Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division

[Efundunke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool but loses flavor after a few years.

[Tiffany Neal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not all too impressed with this picture book. Cute for very young readers, but honestly there were some pieces that were just irritating to me (mainly the chubby boy).

[Alana Arlequin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It is so funny! This would be great for read alouds!