I'm not quite sure why I was sent this ARC, but I am ok with it. A chapter book that follows, day by day, the first hundred days in one first grader's classroom. As a middle school librarian, I thought it was a little juvenile but the story was interesting and fun for young readers.

A really cute idea to follow a student through the first 100 days of school. I love the beginning where he was nervous and the slowly making friends. But for some reason the character lost me in the middle of the story. At the beginning, I really liked him and was excited to see how he handled school. By the end I found him obnoxious and whiny. I almost didn’t finish because halfway through I stopped caring about the character.

What a realistic and endearing account of a first grader's first 100 days of school! Harry is that first grader and acts exactly how first graders act in navigating the hallways of education..
The everyday occurrences of Henry's school days are described in such detail and so well. The book is divided into 100 concise chapters which describe the goings on and adjustments to elementary school life.
The details and design of the illustrations will delight all readers. The originality of the book encompassing the sadness, joy and expectations of first grade are superb. A first grader will be able to completely relate to Harry's travails and accomplishments. An instructive and fun read!

The concept of following a boy through the first 100 days of 1st grade was so interesting and unique-which is why I chose to read this book. I really loved how the author set up each day, some longer than others, and showed how Harry evolved throughout the story. The ending was simply adorable as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Schwartz & Wade for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This fun early elementary chapter book documents the first 100 days of Harry’s first grade experience. Harry is nervous about starting first grade and at first, he’s not too sure about his teacher and worries about making friends. As the 100 days go by, readers experience Harry’s ups and downs and his growth, culminating in his big 100th day of school project. Young readers will be able to relate to Harry’s challenges and feelings and the quick pace of the brief chapters will keep them engaged. This will be a fantastic read aloud for the start of first grade!

More episodic than conflict driven. There's a theme - Harry learning how to navigate school - but conflicts are generally resolved within a few sections. No zany adventures, just a few simple misunderstandings.

What a fantastic chapter book for early elementary school students! Harry is so incredibly relatable with his adjustment to first grade. This book touches on all of the worries that students face when starting a new school year, told in a way to calm fears and let them know they aren't alone. Each of the teachers in the book are fantastic at problem solving, as are Harry's mom and sister. Through their examples, Harry learns how to cope with changes and expectations in the world around him. This would be a great book for first grade teachers to read aloud to their classes, they could even read it on the matching days! It would also be great for rising first graders to read the summer between kindergarten and first grade.

Harry was happy to have made through kindergarten successfully. Summer is almost over and he’s getting worried about starting first grade. What if he gets lost in the big school building where his new classroom will be? Sure, his sister Charlotte is in fourth grade but she’s upstairs on the second floor! Harry worries that the teachers will be strict, that there will be too many rules, and the kids will be mean. His Mom and sister try to tell him it will be okay, and Charlotte even explains that “sure there will be a few mean kids, just don’t hang out with them.”

Many primary schools (K-2nd grade) celebrate the first one hundred days of school in a grand way. The kids feel like they’ve accomplished something huge, and they have, it’s a big achievement to adjust to school when your new at it and just six or seven years old. The teachers and administrators understand this and celebrate with them.

Usually there are fun crafts, hands-on projects, similar to what Harry’s class does by bringing in 100 small items of their choice, plus games and snacks. The story is told with 100 short chapters counting up to the one hundredth day. It goes quickly and has terrific illustrations by Pete Oswald.

I used to love books like this when I was a kid, it made me feel as if I could step right into the picture and be a part of the book! Such fun!

Emily Jenkins even created toys called ‘Fluff Monsters’ that Harry and his friends love. They’re four different characters, cute and fluffy, each a different color, that are part of a video game. Harry decides to make 100 small Fluff Monsters to bring to school on the 100th Day, which is a whole story in itself. Most kids bring things like 100 pennies, 100 erasures, or even 100 mini marshmallows.

This is the perfect book for any first-grade student, that teachers, parents, and librarians will love.
I highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Children’s, and Emily Jenkins.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
This is a must read for families as they prepare for first grade. It's also a terrific read aloud for first grade classrooms.
Harry is nervous about starting first grade. His fourth grade sister and mom offer support and make sure he gets to the right classroom. He's not sure about his teacher, making friends or classroom during the first week. Readers see how his perspective changes as the year progresses. Jenkins uses short entries set up for each of the first 100 days of the school year. The simple language will connect with lower elementary readers; they will identify with Harry and his friends as they experience first grade - the fears, excitement, friendship struggles. The world open up for these classmates as they learn to read and grow their brains. Jenkin's pace captures the growth spurts and pauses for students of this age. Plenty of humor mixed with the learning will appeal to families and classes. The informative text at the end offers further resources for parents and teachers.

This was a cute and heartwarming story that follows Harry through the first 100 days of school. At first, when you see there are 100 chapters, you may think that it is too long or tedious. That is not the case! The chapters are short and quick. The events take you on the highs and lows that a young child experiences when they go to school. Pete Oswald's illustrations are a wonderful addition to the story. I think this would make a great read aloud for the lower elementary students.

Thank you Random House Children's and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Harry Versus The First 100 Days Of School
By: Emily Jenkins

REVIEW ☆☆☆☆☆
My kids are high school age now, but I remember the 100 days celebrations from elementary school. Like Harry, the main character, they experienced highs and lows, made new friends and learned so much during this time. For any first grader, 100 days of school is a huge accomplishment, and I am glad to see a book dedicated to this momentous event.

Harry is a darling character who reads as authentic, and young readers should relate to him easily. I found the book format engaging and fun and the overall message hopeful and optimistic. I hope parents and teachers of elementary age readers will choose to share Harry's first 100 days with them. It's a teaching tool filled with delight!

Harry loves his mom, his sister Charlotte, his dad who lives in another city, and Fluff Monsters. He also likes his first grade teacher Mrs. Peek-Schnitzel, his friends at the Goat table, and making pom-poms. He does not like guinea pigs, when Wyatt snaps his waistband, or when his dad doesn’t visit like he said he would. Through the course of the first 100 days, though, Harry has ups and downs, but mostly ups.

At first, the format of a chapter for each of the first 100 days of school seemed like it might get tedious, but it doesn’t. The story is cute, and primary students will be able to relate. Making new friends, not wanting to get in trouble, puking at school, and the culminating event of bringing 100 objects to celebrate the 100th day of school are just a few examples of what readers will experience with Harry. There is so much packed in this story. Pete Oswald’s illustrations are delightful and add to the charm. This chapter book would make a good read-aloud.

This book is so much fun to read! Harry is a lovely character who is learning to be a first grader. The author tells Harry's story as he goes through the first 100 days of 1st grade- how he interacts with his classmates, goes through different emotions and feelings, deals with frustration and success, and learns about so many new things! I also like the Mrs. Peek-Schnitzel's character- she sounds like a good teacher who always strives to be all-inclusive!

I think this would be a nice book to read aloud with my first graders :)

Harry is beginning First Grade. Even having his big sister just upstairs, Harry is nervous about what will happen. You see Harry and his classmates go through the first 100 days. You see it through his point of view. Why didn't he get chosen to be line leader? Why is one boy telling him he is going to hurt him, but never does? What happens through his eyes in every little portion of the day?
This book would be a great read aloud for the first couple of days and into the new school year. I think it will make the kids see that they are not alone in the newness of a classroom, peers, and teachers.