Fall Is for School

K-Gr 2—"Fall is for school!" a jubilant girl shouts while her older brother mourns the loss of summer vacation. The boy whines that school is uncool and too hard, it's full of teachers and homework. But his sister extols the virtues of nice teachers, fascinating projects, recess, and Halloween parties. Eventually, the boy changes his tune as his sister exclaims, with grown-up wisdom, "We'll learn, and we'll be clever./A great big world will open up/and change our lives forever." The full-bleed digital illustrations are full to bursting with fall colors, as well as an accumulating collection of things the siblings will learn about, from Abraham Lincoln to rocket ships. Chantlike rhyming text bounces between the sister's speech printed in shades of red and pink and her brother's words in blues. Often the rhyme scheme feels forced, especially when pushing the message that only kids who go to school can learn to do things right. Although this title seems to target a younger audience who are learning their numbers and how to read and write, the characters speak of multiplication, ancient Egypt and Rome, and engineering. Readers may wonder why a younger sibling is telling her older brother what to expect at school, as if he's never been.