The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

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This beautiful picture book is about staying true to yourself, even when it is hard to fit in. Throughout the book, a little girl tells how she felt moving to a new school where she was different than everyone else. When all of the other students in the class were sharing about their summer travels, the narrator feels sad because her summer was so different from everyone else. She did not spend it traveling like all the other students, she spent it taking care of her little sister. Through looking at other characters who also stand out from their classmates in a range of ways, the author shows the readers that it is okay to be different. The little girl decides to do a brave thing and tell her class about her summer and how they read books about so many things it was like they traveled! Once she shared, she was able to talk with her classmates and make new friends.

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