Head back to school with a first day of school favorite! The perfect pick for new students and teachers, complete with a Certificate of Courage for First Day Completion and a First Day Memories Sheet. Sarah Jane Hartwell has that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach--she''s nervous and doesn''t want to start a new school year. She doesn''t know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With a little convicing from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly heads to class. Shy at first, she''s quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton and reminded that everyone at school gets the jitters sometimes. A beloved and bestselling back to schools staple, Sarah Jane''s familiar story and its surprise ending will delight seasoned students and new faces alike who are anxious about their first day.
Julie Danneberg grew up in Denver, Colorado, and has spent most of her life there. After receiving her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, she became a special education teacher.
Julie taught for nine years, until her second child was born. She never went back to teaching full time, but has kept her foot in the door by tutoring and substitute teaching. However, when people ask her what her profession is, she replies, "full-time mom and part-time writer."
As a writer, a teacher, and a mother, Julie has read many children's picture books. She was motivated to try and write books like the ones she enjoyed the most. She knows what a profound impact a good book can have on a child. Writing children's books is the perfect medium for blending many of her interests – working with kids, being home with her family, researching new topics, being creative, and being her own boss.
Julie's first book, Margaret's Maginficent Colorado Adventure (Westcliffe Publishing, 1999), is a nonfiction picture book about Colorado's history and geography as told through the journal of a 10-year old girl. She has also written a children's videotape and teacher's manual called Upside Down Learning, and created a calendar combining jokes, riddles, and factual material about specific Colorado destinations called Kids Discover Colorado (Westcliffe Publishing, 1999). Other books by Julie Danneberg include First Day Jitters (2000) and Women of the West (Fulcrum Publishing, 2001).
Julie currently lives with her family in Denver, Colorado.
Illustrator:
Judy Love lives near Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband, Alan, and their two sons, Matt and Tom. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she has illustrated numerous children's books.
