First Grade Takes a Test by: Miriam Cohen and illustrated by: Ronald Himler

Ages: Kindergarten-1st Grade

A test arrives in the first grade classroom, and Anna Maria is excited because it will tell how smart everyone is. As the students begin the test, each one sees a question in a different and creative way, often having nothing to do with the “correct” answer. When the time was up, Anna Maria was the only student who finished the test. She does well enough to be moved to a special class, and the rest of the class is upset thinking that they are dumb. Is getting the best grade and being in a special class all that matters? Find out when you read First Grade Takes a Test.

First Grade Takes a Test was a good book that many children can relate to. In this era of No Child Left Behind, standardized tests are a large part of children’s lives at school. The teacher’s reassurance about test results may provide comfort to the reader. The watercolor illustrations were great, and dominated the pages. They started on the title page and continued onto the credits page and dedication page, showing the children lined up at the pencil sharpener. I like how the illustrations show a multicultural classroom, with the children working together. The illustrator does a great job of showing the emotions on the faces of the children, from happy, to confused, to nervous, to upset. The text is simple, and goes along great with the illustrations. I like how there are examples of test questions in the story. Since they are written in a larger font, they stand out. It may also be fun for the reader to try to answer the questions in the story. There is a great message in this book – that children are not defined by the standardized tests they are required to take. It also shows that each person has unique qualities and things that they are good at. First Grade Takes a Test has a good message about standardized tests for children, teachers, and parents.