The Hundred Dresses

Author: Eleanor Estes

First line: Today, Monday, Wanda Petronski was not in her seat.

Why you should read this book: Wanda is a little girl who wears the same shabby dress to school every day, so Maddie and Peggy cannot understand why she would claim to own a hundred dresses, silk and velvet, every color of the rainbow, all lined up in her closet. While Maddie likes to have fun at Wanda’s expense, Peggy feels badly about the teasing, but keeps quiet and feels ashamed of her behavior. Only when it is too late are the girls able to recognize Wanda’s genius, put themselves in her shoes, and find love in their hearts for someone whose circumstances are different, but who is still a little girl just like them.

Why you shouldn’t read this book: You believe everyone should pull themselves up by the bootstraps, and ridiculing people, particularly poor immigrant, for their differences is the best way to encourage them to do so.