ALA Booklist (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

"I've been waiting my whole life to go to school," said kindergarten-bound Amanda Pig in Amanda Pig, School Girl (1997). In this latest entry in the Amanda and Oliver easy-reader series, Amanda is just as eager to start first grade. Four short chapters follow her through her first days in class. There are a few struggles. She gets lost on the way to the office; the big kids steal the first grader's ball; and she is frustrated when her first day doesn't bring instantaneous literacy ("I thought I could read in first grade"). Very quickly, though, she begins to decipher words, and by the final episode, she skips recess to finish her first book. Once again, the author and illustrator zero in on a child's excitement and frustrations with warmth and accuracy. The clear, short sentences are calibrated for new readers, but the story, illustrated in appealing watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, will also draw younger children still awaiting their first-grade debuts. Another solid entry in a winning series.

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Amanda's high expectations of first grade are all met--except she still can't read. As the days pass, she has the usual misadventures: getting lost in the big building, confronting a bully. Slowly, she builds her word power and learns to read. Amanda's experience will resonate with first graders everywhere. Reassuring pencil and watercolor illustrations show Amanda's ups and downs.

School Library Journal (Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

K-Gr 1 Amanda Pig is looking forward to first grade. She explains her excitement to her friend Lollipop: "We don't have to take naps and we get to play on the big playground and have real desks and jobs and homework. And we'll know how to read!" Unfortunately, Amanda is disappointed when she chooses her first book at school and discovers that she knows only one word. As the little pig learns the routine of a busy first grader with important jobs, she adds new vocabulary to the classroom "Word Wall." Somehow, reading that first book is now exciting and not so daunting. Amanda and her friends glow in a series of soft colored pencil and watercolor illustrations. While she voices the fears of a young child, her confidence grows as she endures losing her way in the halls and facing down the big second graders on the playground. While intended for independent reading, the message of perseverance in the face of new experiences is one that may also be shared aloud. Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX