Book Title: The Hundred Dresses
Author: Eleanor Estes
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Content Rating: PG (Content warning: bullying)
Tidbit: After a girl who was teased by the kids in class moves away, Maddie contemplates her own actions and what she could have done differently.
Wanda is different. Her last name is foreign, and she always wears the exact same blue dress. When Wanda claims to have a hundred dresses in her closet at home, the other girls in class know it's a lie. So Peggy begins to tease Wanda every day about those hundred dresses. Maddie, not wanting the teasing turned on her, doesn't intervene. So when Wanda stops coming to class, Maddie begins thinking about her own actions and contemplating what she could have done differently. And when the drawing contest winners are announced, a new discovery is made about Wanda.
This short book is a must-read for every kid! But especially for girls heading into their tween years. It's a book about not being afraid to stand up for what's right, even if we stand alone. It's a story of regret. It's a book about choosing kindness and not fearing what is different. Though the story is set in a completely different time period (1930s, maybe?), the story itself is timeless. It's also a very quick read. I think this will be a perfect read-aloud for my kids, so I'm adding it to my list to read aloud as a family, even though my 8 year old has now read it for our Mom and Me book club.
I really loved that the author's daughter included a little note to the reader at the beginning of the book. This adds so much perspective to the story and I think is a great way to talk with kids about the choices we make and how we treat others. This is another Newbery Award Book, and I think it's a wonderful one!
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