2nd graders read Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes

I love all of Kevin Henkes' books, from his mouse picture books like Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and Chrysanthemum to his chapter books like The Year of Billy Biller and Olive's Ocean.  The Penny series fall in between; it is an illustrated beginners chapter book (with a mouse character of course!) 

In Penny and Her Marble, Penny is on a walk and finds a beautiful blue marble in her neighbor's lawn.  And Penny thinks that certainly her neighbor Mrs. Goodwin is too old to play with marbles, so it couldn't belong to her. Right? So she takes it, and at first she is amazed at how beautiful and blue and shiny it is.  But when she sees Mrs. Goodwin in her yard--in the exact spot where the marble was--she starts to wonder if Mrs. Goodwin is looking for the marble.  Feelings of guilt overwhelm Penny and she refuses to eat (even sugar cookies!) and cannot sleep.

After reading Penny and Her Marble to second graders, I like to challenge them and ask why they think I choose this book to read to them.  Somebody usually figures out that the guilt that Penny feels after taking the marble and the relief she feels when she is forgiven is similar to what happens when they receive their First Reconciliation.  This story is a great way to discuss what we can do when something is bothering us or when we have feelings we are not sure what to do with.