The Hundred Dresses Summary
Eleanor Estes

The Hundred Dresses Overview

In the Newberry Honor-winning children's book The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes depicts the dynamics at work within one World War II-era American classroom. Nearly every student in the class takes pleasure in alternately ignoring and berating a Polish-American girl named Wanda. Maddie begins to wonder why she stands by and does nothing while Peggy and the other girls subject Wanda to the cruel routine day after day. By the time Maddie realizes the terrible and silent nature of her own role in the abuse, Wanda's family has already moved away, leaving Maddie with no opportunity to make amends. Instead, she makes a promise to herself that no matter what it takes, she will find a way to summon the courage to stand up for what is right the next time she witnesses injustice. Over the course of the narrative, Estes includes themes such as courage, injustice, discrimination, and the need for a broader sense of collectivism in America.