THINGS I LEARNED IN SECOND GRADE
by Amy Schwartz & illustrated by Amy Schwartz
When red-headed Andrew started second grade, he didn’t know how to spell “should,” subtract 348 from 411, write in cursive, or read a chapter book. Now, at the end of the year, he can do all of those things, and more. This amiable slice-of-life account of a year at school doesn’t stop with academic achievements: Andrew discusses new friends and the loss of an old one, the growth of his family (Digger the hamster begets Tiger, Explorer, Speedy, and Racer—“Would anyone like a hamster?”), and some of the cosmic questions he’s puzzling through (“What is in everything pizza, anyway?”). Schwartz’s signature line-and-watercolor illustrations set against generous white space are clean and exactly on target, as is her sense of the average second-grader’s ambitions and concerns. It’s a gently affirming, sweetly positive exemplar that looks confidently forward to the third grade. Just right. (Picture book. 4-7)