Miss Nelson is Missing-Harry Allard August 18, 2007
Is everyone ready? Have you done your “My goodness, I had no idea how much you’ve grown this summer!” clothes shopping yet? Have you bought your offspring’s “I have to have this backpack-everybody’s got one!” school supplies? Are you dreading the first day? Let’s see, this group would include teachers, principals, students. Looking forward to it? This group? Parents, geeks, Walmart. And, now, this somehow brings us, albiet in a very convoluted roundabout way, to books about school, and there are many, many of those. Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard is a children’s book that needs mentioning, or, better, re-mentioning. It was written forever ago-1977-and is one of those books that never goes out of style or favor. In the beginning of the story we find the teacher, Miss Nelson, having a bit of trouble with her class: “They whispered and giggled. They squirmed and made faces. They were even rude during story time.” What to do! wonders their harried teacher. Enter Miss Viola Swamp-the substitute from…uh, uh, uh… Bakersfield filling in for the “ailing” Miss Nelson. The illustrations are by James Marshall and are (I love the “Sharks (very unpleasant)” sign.) thoroughly fun right down to the closet door (slightly ajar) at the end. Will children be frightened by the awful Miss Viola Swamp? Probaby no more than they should, but, even more to the point, haven’t we all had a scary Miss Viola Swamp in our lives? (Okay, sorry about the Bakersfield thing, but this is a family show, er, site, you know.)
Miss Nelson Is Missing
Written by Harry Allard
Illustrated by James Marshall
Accelerated Reader RL 2.7
Leave a Reply