Third Grade Baby by Jenny Meyerhoff, Jill Weber (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Polly Peterson knows that baby teeth are for babies like her little brother, Max. And yet she’s the only kid in her third grade class who hasn’t lost a single one. Her best friends, Oliver and Amelia, try to make her feel better, but it’s hard to be cheerful when Zachary, the new boy at school, starts calling her Babyteeth. As if that weren’t bad enough, Polly worries about what to do when she finally does lose a tooth. Can third graders leave teeth under their pillows? Or is the tooth fairy also just for babies?



In this charming and funny book filled with exuberant illustrations, Polly learns that true growth isn’t measured by the teeth we lose, but rather by the friendships we gain.

Children's Literature

Polly Peterson is starting third grade. Things are going pretty well, until Mr. Meyers has all of the class write how many teeth they have lost on their Science Tooth Chart on the board. The problem is that Polly hasn't lost any teeth. All of her classmates have lost at least four teeth. Because she hasn't lost any teeth (and a few other reasons), Zachary, a kid in Polly's class, teases her all the time. He frustrates her so much that not only do kids call her a "baby," but they also are waiting for her to provide a picture of the Tooth Fairy—a picture that Polly doesn't have. With clear sentences and a relevant plotline, younger elementary school-aged children will enjoy Polly's story and how she conquers her classmates' teasing. The text is also peppered with black and white illustrations. So readers who aren't quite ready for straight text will be pleased to see the pictures of Polly and her family and friends. Reviewer: Joella Peterson

School Library Journal

Gr 2-3

Polly's first day in third grade includes filling out a giant graph of how many baby teeth each student has lost. Polly is the only one who hasn't lost any, so Zachary, a new boy, teases her by calling her "Babyteeth." The next day, when she loses her tooth, she is hopeful that she's not too old for a visit from the tooth fairy. The first night, though, the tooth fairy forgets to come. Polly lies to Zachary that the tooth fairy brought a picture of herself. The second night, Polly takes a picture of the tooth fairy, who looks a lot like her mom. The girl has been observing that Zachary is alone at recess, and she befriends him. A cheerful, black-and-white cartoon drawing appears in each chapter. This ordinary story has some character development as Polly realizes that Zachary doesn't know how to socialize with her effectively.-Debbie S. Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI

Kirkus Reviews

Polly Peterson is dealing with a new school year, a demanding, teething baby brother and a science project that lets everyone in the class, even the nasty new boy, know that she has not lost any baby teeth yet. Luckily she has two loyal friends, a loose tooth and understanding parents and teacher. However, when the tooth fairy forgets to come, Polly makes a hard situation worse by lying about it on the playground. The third-person limited narration puts readers into Polly's head as she immediately realizes saying the tooth fairy left her picture was a bad idea: "Polly's words made her mouth feel all gummy...Why didn't she just say a million dollars? That would be easier to get than a picture of the tooth fairy." Mixed in with the humor are very real issues middle-grade readers will recognize, of bullying and the constant need to measure up. The realization that the bully has issues of his own will reassure readers even as it helps Polly achieve a new maturity. Weber's fresh pencil illustrations add credibility to this school story. (Fiction. 6-8)

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