James can barely contain his excitement on the last day of school, but he vows to be good and get Mrs. Bremwood’s last gold sticker of the year. He’s determined not to talk during Silent Reading and he will get his drink at the water fountain properly and not spit out any of it because it’s warm. At lunch, he’ll take the wrapper off his straw and not blow it at his friend Tony, and he won’t show Tiffany how he can burp and talk at the same time. It’ll be a perfect day and at the end, after giving Mrs. Bremwood the biggest hug ever, he’ll EXPLODE!When it comes to excited kids, not many days can compete with the last day of school. And this is the perfect book to cap off every school year—for kids and teachers. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

K-Gr 2-James is determined to be on his best behavior on the last day of school. Filled with exuberance, he bounces from page to page, offering a litany of things that he will do differently: "I'll get my drink at the drinking fountain 1, 2, 3 and not spit the water back out because it's warm." He hopes to impress Mrs. Bremwood and receive "the last gold star sticker for the year." At lunch, he'll "thank the lady who always smiles at me, and even the one with the grumpy face, and I'll tell them that it's a good lunch, even if it's not." After receiving a hug from his teacher, James literally explodes off the final page, ready for a long, hot summer of frolicking with his friends. The boy and his classmates are depicted in orange, sepia-based tones that give the book a feeling of times past, though the action in the bold oil paintings keeps the story rooted in the present. Use this title to supplement Mark Teague's How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Knopf, 1997).-Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

K-Gr. 2. James imagines the last day of school, when he'll do everything right for a change. He won't talk to Tony in class or smash his milk carton at lunch or show off his ability to talk and burp at the same time. He will thank the lady in the lunch line, do his work on time, and earn his teacher's final gold star sticker of the year. And then . . . And then . . . I'll EXPLODE!!!! The last two words of the book sound a bit alarming, but the illustration of James ecstatically catapulting out of school makes the meaning clear. James speaks for the many children who want to do things right in school but find it hard to settle down. With a stylized, retro look, the expressive illustrations feature simplified shapes, well-defined compositions, and the rhythm of repeated forms. Useful for those end-of-the-year teacher requests. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2004 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.