Princess Posey and the Perfect Present

K-Gr 2—First grader Posey learns some lessons about gift giving in the second beginning chapter book (Putnam, 2011) in the series by Stephanie Greene. She loves her class, her teacher, and her friends. When Posey's teacher announces that her birthday is coming up, Posey spends time gathering the perfect bouquet of flowers from the garden to present to her. When she arrives at school, one of her friends gives the teacher a much larger bouquet purchased from a florist. Suddenly Posey feels like her homemade present doesn't measure up and she shoves her bouquet into her backpack and takes it home. After discussing the situation at home, the next day Posey gives her teacher one perfect flower. Stina Nielsen does a nice job of pacing the story for young readers. She successfully differentiates the characters, and perfectly portrays Posey's emotions. A fine choice for girls who are ready for beginning chapter books.—Kristie Miller, Alexander Central Schools, NY