by John Grandits, Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99, 32 pages
The first day of school can be nerve wracking for any new student. Add the thought of riding a school bus for the first time, one filled with older kids and unknown mysteries, and it can be downright scary. But never fear if a big brother is near! In John Grandits’ new book Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus, Kyle is dreading his first bus ride. His older brother James considers himself a school bus expert and so he gives Kyle some advice about how to successfully ride without getting laughed at, yelled at, or even robbed! Rule Number One: never sit in the first row. Rule Number Two: never sit in the last row. Unfortunately for Kyle, all the seats are taken and he has to sit next to a big kid. Will things turn out ok?
Michael Allen Austin’s acrylic paint artwork makes for beautiful, quirky illustrations. Primary school teachers and first time bus riders will enjoy the lesson that the big yellow school bus isn’t so bad after all and that maybe younger siblings can teach their older brothers and sisters something along the way.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin