The+Hundred+Dresses

Written by Eleanor Estes Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin Reading Level: Ages 7-10 years Paperback: 81 pg. Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1944 New York Price:$5.00 Language: English ISBN: 0-15-237374-8
 * The Hundred Dresses**

The book begins with the story of a little girl named Wanda Petronski. She was not like the other girls in school who had "normal" names and dresses. The girls often made fun of her because she only had one dress. One day Wanda didn't show up for class. No one noticed that she was gone until she hadn't been in class until Wednesday. The two girls to headed up the bullying, Peggy and Maddie, looked back on the day that they first started the cruel game that they liked to play with Wanda.One day a girl in class wore a new dress and all the girls in the class planned on getting new ones just like it. Wanda said that she already had a hundred dresses at home lined-up in her closet. Wanda's family was poor and she couldn't have that many dresses. Instead of not believing her and letting the subject go, everyday the girls would ask her about her dresses and how each one looked like. Peggy enjoyed this taunting but even though Maddie took part in the game she was poor as well. She was afraid if something happened to Wanda she would be next. Despite Wanda's absence school went on and there was a drawing contest. The boys drew mechanics and the girls drew fashion clothes. The next day the students walked into a classroom of over a hundred drawings of dresses. Wanda was declared winner of the contest. With her drawings was a letter. It said that Wanda and her fmaily were moving far away and she wouldn't be coming to school anymore. Peggy and Maddie decided to see if Wanda had really moved or not and walked to her house after school. The girls found it vacant and declared that they would write to Wanda to tell her that she won and they were sorry that they had been so mean. Finally one day before Christmas the class at school received a letter. Wanda had written them and given Peggy and Maddie two drawings of dresses. She also told them to keep the ones she left behind because she had a hundred more where she was. The girls finally realized that she did have a hundred dresses and they were all her own.
 * Summary**

This book is really great for second to fifth grade girls It really shows readers how to overcome obstances and really believing in who you are. Wanda was too poor to have a hundred dresses but she pushed aside her poverty and readlly made her own hundred dresses "hanging in a closet", straight in a row. In the end she showed the girls that she understood them (in the letter) and sent them their own "dress". The girls made fun of her in the beginning but in the end she spread her "wealth" with them. In the end she was the one with the most and they had the least. This book does a good job showing that anyone can overcome obstances if they need to. Always believe in what you want and stay postive. These are some of the messages in the book. She over came their jeers and she showed how special she was in the end.
 * Analysis of Elements**

This book is a little long but it is good for mid level elementary school students. It teaches kids not to tease because even though a situation might looks one way it can be completely different from what it actually is. Wanda might have been poor in money but she was rich in her thoughts and drawings. The girls thought that Wanda was a poor girl to be picked on. In the end she won the contest and out shined all the girls. She had her hundred dresses and more than any of the other girls did. Even though she was kind to Peggy and Maddie in the end Wanda was the true "winner".
 * Review**

Eleanor Estes was born in West Haven, Connecticut on May 9, 1906. She has written many children's books including //Ginger Pie// and //The Moffats Series//. She won the Newbery Honor in 1952 for this book. In addition to being a writer she was a librarian and lived on both United States' coasts. She had one child named Helena and moved back to Connecticut for the end of her life. Estes died in July of 1988 in Hamden, Connecticut.
 * Author Bio**

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