Module 1: The Hundred Dresses
Book summary:
A young Polish girl named Wanda comes to school every day in
the same faded, old dress yet she tells her classmates that she has one hundred
dresses at home, all lined up in her closet and they ask questions about the
dresses that none of them believes she has. It becomes a daily ritual until the
day Wanda stops coming to school. A note from Wanda's father informs the school
that he has moved himself, Wanda and Wanda's brother to the big city where they
will not be ridiculed for their heritage or their names. At the same time, it
is revealed that Wanda has won the class drawing contest with her one hundred
beautiful drawings of dresses. As Maddie, the best friend of Wanda's main
tormentor, comes to terms with how Wanda must have felt even though she never cried
or said anything about it, the book ends with Maddie feeling deeply remorseful
because while she didn't participate in the teasing, she did nothing to stop it
either.
APA Reference of Book:
Estes, E. (1944). The
hundred dresses. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.
Impressions:
Before I opened this book and began to read, the summary
left me thinking that at the end, it would be Wanda I was feeling sad about,
but actually by the end of the novel, it was Maddie and Peggy that left me
feeling the worst. Wanda was so stoic in the face of all the tormenting and
teasing and never resorted to the same level herself; she just played along
with Peggy. The reader follows the story and Maddie's internal struggle between
the fear of being teased as well or doing what is right nonetheless. By the
time she realizes what should be done, it is too late and there is no chance to
make amends for the consequences of her lack of action and on top of that,
Maddie's guilt burns deeper when she realizes how closely Wanda was watching
all of them, all along. The saddest part for me was that the gravity of the
situation seems to have sailed right over Peggy's head. All she understood was
the rebuke from the teacher and not the true consequences her actions had on
Wanda and Wanda's family.
I would highly recommend this book. There are a number of
important morals touched upon: compassion, bravery, and understanding and they
are presented in a way that children of all ages can easily understand them. In
a day and age where bullying in all its various forms is more prevalent than
ever, The Hundred Dresses should be a
required read for every child so that, they can see what one possible result of
a seemingly harmless game of teasing can be.
Professional Review:
ESTES, Eleanor. The
Hundred Dresses.
illus. by Louis Slobodkin. Harcourt. 2004.
Gr 3-5-- Wanda Petronski is the target of Peggy's game of
teasing and name-calling because her name is "funny," she comes to
school with mud on her shoes, and she wears the same dress every day. Maddie
says nothing to stop the teasing and realizes too late that she is also to
blame. "She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy
had done." A reissued classic with sensitive, evocative illustrations.
Ralston, J.
(2005). [Review of the book The hundred
dresses, by E. Estes]. School Library
Journal, 51(5), 50. Retrieved
from: www.slj.com
Library Uses:
Include the book in a display aimed towards parents and
teachers who are looking for books to introduce difficult social topics to
children (bullying, fitting in, etc.)
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