K-Gr 1-Posey is about to start first grade, and she can't help but feel a little intimidated. Her mom won't be walking her to her classroom, neighborhood boys have terrified her with stories of a first-grade monster, and-worst of all-she won't be allowed to wear her pink tutu to school. Posey doesn't think she can be brave without it and is more nervous than ever. How will she survive her first day? This is a sweet book, and children will relate to the child's fears about her new experience and leaving her security tutu behind. There's also a confidence-building ending in which the new first graders are encouraged to be true to themselves. The illustrations are spare and in black and white, but they do complement the story. Children will find this offering a good start for trying chapter books as it is has such an easy reading level. This first title in the series is likely to find an appreciative audience.-Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Author of the Sophie Hartley series of middle-grade chapter books, Greene now offers a series for early chapter-book readers. Nervous about starting first grade in the fall, Posey spends the summer wearing the pink tutu that makes her feel special and worrying that this year she must walk into school and down the first-grade hall alone. It doesn't help that her neighbors, Nick and Tyler, love to tease her about the monster and snakes in that hallway. Midway through the book, Posey jabs Nick's arm with a stick to find out whether the monster really turned his blood to ink. The chapter ends there, leaving readers to wonder whether she drew blood, got into trouble, and/or apologized. The next chapter opens with her sympathetic grandfather drawing out her concerns as he drives her to the store for ice cream. Apart from those lingering questions, the story and illustrations offer a satisfying portrayal of Posey and her world. The black-and-white illustrations are appealing, and the sparkly pink tutu on the book jacket will draw just the right audience.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist

Readers anxious about starting school will identify with the ingenuous heroine of Greene's (the Moose and Hildy books) novel, first in a series. Fancying herself the "Pink Princess," Posey dreads the first day of school: she can't wear her beloved tutu, and her mother will be dropping her off outside instead of escorting her to the classroom. She accuses her mother of abandoning her, then credibly lashes out at her brother ("It's all your fault.... I was the baby till you got here"). After the boys next door tell her that a monster haunts the school, Posey's grandfather assuages her fears, but it's her teacher who has the solution to both problems, inviting her students to wear their "favorite clothes" to start the year with a dress-up parade. Greene's simple sentences are distinguished by punchy dialogue and sentiments that do justice to a range of emotions, from frustration and nervousness to unadulterated glee. They should go a long way to easing the worries of readers embarking on a new stage in their school life. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 5-8. May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Posey is shy when she and Gramps bump into her new teacher just days before the start of school. First-grade teacher Miss Lee is friendly, though, and compliments Posey on her tutu-the one that Posey's mom won't let her wear to school. When Miss Lee sympathizes and says, "It's too bad we can't wear our favorite old clothes to school," Posey, emboldened, asks, "Why can't we?" The next day a letter arrives from Miss Lee inviting Posey and her classmates to wear their favorite clothes on the first day to show how they "are all so different and creative." Generously illustrated, very short chapters capture the concerns of primary graders. Posey, for instance, can't stop worrying about the "Kiss and Go Lane": parents walk kindergartners to class, but first-grader Posey must "kiss her mom good-bye. And open the car door. And walk into the school. All by herself." The pictures illustrate key moments: Miss Lee squatting down to look shy Posey in the eye; at book's conclusion, the first graders variously and happily dressed in pajamas, a soccer uniform, dinosaur slippers, and more. Six-year-old Posey, in a sparkly pink tutu on the cover, will catch the attention of young emerging readers. Like Miss Lee's invitation, this new chapter book series will be warmly received by youngsters looking for something comfortable and familiar to begin with. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.