Last Day Blues    by Julie Danneberg & Judy Love Order:  USA  Can Charlesbridge, 2006 (2006) Hardcover, Softcover      Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch It is the last week of school, and each day, Mrs. Hartwell has told the class how much she will miss all of them and their special time together. In turn, Mrs. Hartwell's students are just as sad, though they are looking forward to summer vacation. The students want to cheer Mrs. Hartwell up so that she will not be devastated about the end of school, so they create a special greeting card for her. They leave school for the summer, happy that they have done their part to reduce Mrs. Hartwell's obvious depression and sadness. This is a cute companion piece to Danneberg's First Day Jitters, where Mrs. Hartwell was afraid to teach at her new school, in the same way that a child would be afraid of his or her first day of school. The cartoon-like illustrations are comical and exaggerated. I love the details, such as the last page showing Mrs. Hartwell lounging on her hammock, and the hanging skeleton on the front cover holding a sign that says 'Bye!' In a fun twist, the end of the book shows all the teachers in a Conga line, celebrating the end of school. Last Day Blues, a recommended read, demonstrates to children that teachers are human too. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews