Chester's Way

Henkes, K.(1988). Chester’s Way. New York: Greenwillow.

Brief Annotation: Chester and Wilson are best friends. They share everything; they are just alike. They play together and eat together and on Halloween, they even dress as things that go together, like ham and eggs. Then one day, Lilly moves into the neighborhood. She has her own style, her own way of doing things. Chester and Wilson go out of their way to avoid her, even crossing to the other side of the street if they see her coming their way, “she definitely has a mind of her own,” they comment. One day Lilly steps in to help Chester and Wilson and through her act of kindness, they begin to appreciate her uniqueness. They discover they do have a lot in common and could learn much from each other. Lily, Chester, and Wilson become the best of friends.

Genre: Fantasy, animal fantasy picturebook

Grade: Pre K through 2

Readers who will like this: Children who like stories with animal characters, children who have experienced moving into a new neighborhood or new school or who know a new child in their neighborhood or school

Response/Rating (1-4): 4, The book’s theme of acceptance and learning to value the uniqueness of others makes this book a wonderful addition to a classroom library. The colorful illustrations and age appropriate text will capture children’s interest and provide essential material for further classroom discussions.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: Have you ever moved to a new neighborhood or started at a new school? How did you feel? How were you treated?