The Hundred Dresses

Estes wrote this Newberry Honor story in 1944, and it stands the test of time, remaining a heart-rending, yet child-friendly, look at the big issues of bullying, poverty, inequality, immigration and prejudice.  Although the story centers around the treatment of Wanda, a motherless Polish immigrant who lives in a shack in the rough end of town, in reality it's the story of Maddie, who realizes that while Wanda suffered at the hands of Peggy the bully, she stood by doing nothing.

Wanda's troubles start well before the incident of the hundred dresses - in truth she's never 'fit in'.  She is relegated to the back of the classroom, she has no friends, she stands alone in the schoolyard, and while no one is physically cruel to her - they don't have to be.

And then one day Wanda, desperate for attention, lies to the girls.  She claims she has a hundred dresses in her closet, all lined up.  Peggy finds this hilarious, and teases Wanda mercilessly, since it is obvious that Wanda has only the single, raggedy dress she wears everyday.

Children might relate to Maddie, who illustrates so many of us who hurt others simply by standing by and allowing injustice, but who pride themselves on never being the perpetrator.  Or they may relate to Peggy, who is a kind person at heart, who loves animals and is a good friend, but who teases Wanda because she thinks it is funny - who has no concept of Wanda's reality.  Or they might see themselves in Wanda, outcast, alone, trying clumsily to fit in.

I read this title to the 8yo and 6yo in one go.  It's a bit long for an easy bedtime read, but I think it's important to finish this story all at once to get the full benefit from it.  There's a lot to unpack in the book, and it can be a beautifully illustrated story of being a good person to those who are less fortunate, or it can be a jumping off point to deeper topics, depending on how you choose to use it.