post written by Emma Filbrun

Title: Here’s a Penny
Author: Carolyn Haywood
Major Themes: Early Readers
Synopsis: A typical first-grader, Penny has simple adventures and enjoys playing with his friends.

It has been a long time since I read any books by Carolyn Haywood! When my now-13-year-old was around 6 or 7, his favorite books were the ones about Eddie, and I also read him some about Penny. Now, I have a 5-year-old who loves stories, and he is loving the stories about Penny just as much. We finished Here’s a Penny a few days ago, and of course he wanted to read the sequel, Penny and Peter.

Penny is a lively first grader. His real name, of course, isn’t Penny—it’s William—but you’ll have to read the story to find out why he’s called Penny! Penny badly wants a kitten, but he doesn’t just want any old kitten. It has to be black with a white nose and white paws. Can he find the one he wants, or will he have to settle for the yellow kitten that wants him? What happens when he dresses up for Halloween in a bear costume? And will he ever get the brother he badly wants?

Here’s a Penny is a lovely story about a little boy who always tries to do what his Daddy and Mother want him to, and most of the time he succeeds. Sometimes, though, despite his best intentions, things happen that Penny hasn’t foreseen. If you want a simple story of childhood, this is a great one.

WARNING: One chapter talks about Halloween costumes, and the word “gee” is used twice in chapter 3, once in chapter 7 and once in chapter 10.

Age Levels:

Read Aloud—Ages 3 – 4, 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy Here’s a Penny:

Amazon:

Paperback | Kindle