Fall Is for Beginnings

K-Gr 3–Fall for Ravi means a new school year, new experiences, and learning to make new friends. A group of excited children—a diverse group, with a variety of skin tones—ride the bus to the first day of school, waving to friends, comparing school supplies, showing off new clothes. New girl Ellie, loud and a bit bossy, tries a little too hard to be friends with Ravi and his best friend Joe and ends up excluded. When Ravi’s older sister reminds him that he, too, was annoying when he was a baby, Ravi realizes he has room for another best friend and welcomes Ellie back into his activities. Exuberant, childlike illustrations in vivid colors—a cheerful, warm yellow is used throughout—are the perfect backdrop for this back-to-school story. Several pages include rich details for observant readers to discover. Ellie is instantly recognizable, with her wildly curly hair and toothy grin, and she is missed when not on the page. A class project that involves students adding seasonal elements—leaves, snowflakes, flowers—to a paper tree to represent new experiences is adaptable to any grade.