Children - Fiction & Literature

Miss Nelson Is Missing!

Name: Miss Nelson Is Missing!
Author: Harry G. Allard Jr.
ISBN: 9780395401460

by Harry G. Allard Jr., James Marshall

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Overview

The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzing through the air. They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school. So begins this quirky classic, first published in 1977 and still relevant today as a lighthearted reminder to show our appreciation to those we value. The students don’t proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways. James Marshall’s scritchy, cartoonish full-color ink and wash illustrations are hilarious. A back-to-school perennial!

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

Synopsis

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a substitute.

"Rarely has the golden rule been so effectively interpreted for children."

About the Author, Harry G. Allard Jr.

Allard is the author of several hilarious books for children. He currently lives in Oaxaca, Mexio.

James Marshall (1942-1992) created dozens of exuberant and captivating books for children, including The Stupids, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, and the ever-popular George and Martha books. Before creating his canon of classic, hilarious children's books, James Marshall played the viola, studied French, and received a master's degree from Trinity College. He also doodled. It was the doodles, and the unforgettable characters that emerged from them, that led him to his life's work as one of the finest creators of children's books of the twentieth century. In 2007, James Marshall was posthumously awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder medal for his lasting contribution to literature for children.

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Editorials

From Barnes & Noble

The children in Miss Nelson's class go beyond misbehaving; they are downright terrible! Near her wits' end, Miss Nelson thinks up a brilliant plan. The next day the kids have a substitute--the nasty Viola Swamp--who loads the boys and girls with homework and never gives them a story hour. By the time Miss Nelson finally returns, the children are so grateful they behave well. But now Viola Swamp is missing....

From the Publisher

"Rarely has the golden rule been so effectively interpreted for children." Booklist, ALA

Children's Literature - Kristina Cassidy

There is a reason Miss Nelson is Missing is a classic. Harry Allard teaches readers a lesson about misbehavior in the classroom without lecturing them. Miss Nelson's class is terribly behaved, and she does not discipline them. (There is a lesson for teachers and parents here as well.) One day Miss Nelson disappears and Miss Viola Swamp, "a witch," begins teaching in her place. The class quickly discovers that they should have appreciated and respected Miss Nelson more. Teachers and parents may want to explain why the kids think Miss Swamp is a witch and that Detective McSmogg's pipe smoking is not healthy. Teachers may wish to share this first story of three Miss Nelson books with their classes early in the school year. Reader Lanie Zeta breathes life into each character by altering her voice, and music and sound effects further enliven the story. The CD includes two tracks, one with page-turn cues and one without. The page-turn cue is a ringing school bell, which students may find confusing given the sound effects also included. Each track runs about nine and a half minutes. Reviewer: Kristina Cassidy