Last One In Is A Rotten Egg by Leonard Kessler

My seven-year-old son recently received the easy reader Last One In Is a Rotten Egg by Leonard Kessler as his book reward for participating in the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program.

In Last One In Is a Rotten Egg Freddy and his good friends Bobby and Willie are enjoying their summer vacation until they start going to the pool. Freddy is afraid of going in the deep end of the pool, but he is embarrassed to admit it to his friends, and he is tired of always being the rotten egg. When he is pushed in the pool by some older bullies, Freddy is forced to make a decision.

Kessler first published Last One In is A Rotten Egg in 1969, but it was released in 1999 with new illustrations. The book is just as appropriate for today's children as it was more than forty years ago, and the illustrations are perfect for telling the story.

My son was quite hesitant that he would make it through all 64 pages of Last One In Is a Rotten Egg, but this I Can Read Book level 2 was perfect for his reading level, as he is about to enter second grade. He was able to read it fluently with very few stops, and while he did encounter a challenging word every once in a while, it was no more than he could handle without having to stop too often. The storyline held his attention throughout the book, and it made him want to read more which encouraged him to read on. My son has just started learning how to swim, and this book is also an excellent book when it comes to encouraging him to swim, as he paid careful attention to the pages about learning how to swim.

Kessler has created a book that is full of great talking subjects for pre-school children to tweens, since it includes how to handle bullies, supporting and encouraging your friends as well as how to overcome challenges that stand in your way.

Last One In is A Rotten Egg is a great book to teach elementary school kids about friendship, encountering bullies, encouraging and supporting your friends as well as taking on challenges. It is also a great book for children learning to swim, and it is great for any child who is faced with obstacles.


About the Author:
Leonard Kessler has illustrated more than 200 children's books, many of which he wrote himself, and he collaborated with his wife Ethel on 40 books. Three of Kessler's books have been named on the New York Times' Best Illustrated Children's Books list.

Other books by this author include: Here Comes the Strikeout!, Kick, Pass, and Run (I Can Read Book 2) and Mr. Pine's Purple House/



Author info from: Purple House Press




Title: Last One In is A Rotten Egg
Author and illustrator: Leonard Kessler
Reading level #2
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition (June 3, 2023 
Language: English