Maybe it's because if he really was born in August 1961 he would have been too young to be in grade three?
Maybe it's because if he really was born in August 1961 he would have been too young to be in grade three?
“...if he was really born in August 1961 he would have been too young to be in grade three?”
Maaaaybe. It depends on the school system. In that era the age for starting kindergarten varied even between school systems within the same state. My 5 kids all started in New York State, in three different towns and therefore school systems. The local boards determined what was known as the “cut-off date”. The cut-off date was the calendar date by which the child had to be 5 years old.
How it applies: Kid #1 was born 11/26/59, so he turned 5 years old on 11/26/64. The “cut-off” date where we lived was December 15th. Because he had turned 5 before Dec. 15th, he started kindergarten that school year: Sept. 1964.
So his age on his first day of school was 4 years, 9 months, and a few days. So for most of his kindergarten year he was 5years old. 1st grade: 6; 2nd grade: 7; 3rd grade: 8.
Another son was born 12/17/64. He would turn 5 years old on 12/17/69. Two days AFTER the 12/15 cut-off date - so he could not start kindergarten until the NEXT school year: 1970. When he started school in Sept. 1970, he was 5 years, 8 months, and a few weeks old. So for most of his kindergarted year he was 6 years old. 1st grade: 7; 2nd grade: 8; 3rd grade: 9.
Another school system we lived in had a cut-off date in June - so kids were at least 5 years, 3 months old before starting [and less likely to get of to a shakey start because of immaturity - this being before the days of working moms/daycare/early street-smarts].
We could probably find out the Honolulu schools’ present cut-off date. I’ve a feeling, however, that inquiries about the 1966 school year would result in the “Sorry - records lost, and anyone who might remember has died” routine.
Whatever, for Barry to have been in third grade at Christmastime [Christmas tree drawings on wall in photo background] of 1969, he would have to have started kindergarten in Sept. 1966 - at age 5 years, ~ 1 month. Very possible - but depending on the Honolulu cut-odd date.
As far as Barry not mentioning [”Dreams”] being in Hawaii for any part of his 3rd grade year - he also made no mention of being in kindergarten in Hawaii in that book, either. Could be wrong on that. IIRC, he didn’t talk about elementary schooling until in relation to Indonesia.