I’m so happy to be back, participating in Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday link up. I hope you will hop over and check out the many other fabulous book reviews and activities on her website.
Schools are back in session – my grandson started first grade and I know he is going to have a great year. He has developed a great love for books and reading and…oh yes…Monopoly! It’s been a wonderful game that encourages reading, math, learning to be a graceful winner and loser, and how to strategize. I can’t say enough good things about it.
In honor of teachers and students everywhere, I’m reviewing a classic from when my own children were little.
MISS NELSON IS MISSING
Written by Harry Allard
Illustrated by James Marshall
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin for Young Readers
Ages: 4-8
Themes: School, humor, appropriate behavior
Opening Lines:
“The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzed through the air. They were the worst behaved class in the whole school.”
Synopsis:
From Amazon:
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…and just who is Miss Viola Swamp? A back-to-school perennial!
Why I like this book:
- Hilariously funny for parent and child!
- Cartoon-like illustrations kids can relate to!
- The perfect ending!
How a parent can use this book:
- Great way to help a child see the results of inappropriate behavior!
- See if your child can solve the mystery. Can he find the clues?
RELATED ACTIVITIES
Photo courtesy: http://www.angeliquefelix.com/gallery/fun-and-easy-kids-craft-for-toddlers-preschoolers
- For the younger crowd (ages 2 and 3): play a game of What’s Missing. You will need a paper bag and several small items like a whistle, keys, a spoon, and an apple. Show your child all of the items. Put them in the bag. Then have your child close his eyes and you remove one of the items. See if your child can guess which item is missing from the bag. Then let him put his hand in the bag and feel the items that are left…can he guess now?
- For the older crowd (ages 4 and 5): Draw a face on a paper plate. On a separate paper, draw a mustache, eye glasses, a different nose. Cut those out and then let your child change how the face looks by adding or taking away the ‘disguise’. Use your imagination, and your child’s, to think of more disguises the face could have. For lots more paper plate crafts, check out: http://www.angeliquefelix.com/gallery/fun-and-easy-kids-craft-for-toddlers-preschoolers
***GIVEAWAY***
We’ll be announcing the winner of the School Starts Soon giveaway next week. You still have time to sign up for my email list and get an entry to win a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking.
Click on this link: http://eepurl.com/8pglH
This is a great book for any parent, grandparent, day care provider or early childhood education teacher – chock full of hundreds of fun-filled quick and easy activities for young kids. If you are already subscribed, you can get an entry by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media. Just leave a comment, telling me where you shared…and for every share, you get another entry!
I’m ending my blog post today with a prayer for all those who were affected by 9/11. I hope they have found peace and hope and love.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
Such a timelessly fun book! I loved it, and now my kids love it, too. Plus, James Marshall’s illustrations and color choices are so distinctive. My
Kids know it’s him right away! Great extension activities, Vivian.
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You are such a loyal fan, Katey! That is great that your kids can recognize Marshall’s illustrations…it’s obvious you are providing them with lots and lots and lots of reading opportunities. 🙂
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I remember this classic! Read the books to my daughter. And, I enjoyed your wonderful activities.
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Thank you, Pat! Glad you liked the activities…and my daughter remembered it also. 😉
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The title grabbed my attention. Love the painted plate, and thanks for remembering 911, Vivian.
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I think it is true for all extreme tragedies…they are moments in time that are seared in our memories. I can remember the moment I heard that JFK had been shot…where I was, what I was doing, who I was with. And it is the same for 9/11. Do you experience that phenomenon also, Tracy?
Hope you get to read the book…it is really good!
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I do!
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I can’t even read the title of this book without laughing! It’s an old favorite of mine.
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It seems like many of us feel the same way about this book, Joanna. 😉 My kids loved it and my grandson thought it was hilarious!
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How I loved this book as a child! This post brings back great memories….
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Glad I took you on a pleasant journey down memory lane, Barbara. 🙂 Hope your summer was filled with fun!
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You’re going to have such fun learning with your grandson, Vivian. My grandson and granddaughter both used their first grade year to teach me amazing things they were just certain that I didn’t already know! 😉 It’s a wonderful time!
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Yup! I am totally thrilled to see the world through six-yr old eyes again, Marylin. And you are right…he does teach me quite a lot. 🙂 How are you doing? If I ever get back to Colorado Springs, I won’t leave until I connect with you in person. 😉
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Oh, I love this book and have not read it in ages. I tutor primary age children who struggle with reading and this will be a great one to use. So glad you reviewed this and I saw it! So glad!
@ The Reader and the Book
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THANK YOU SO MUCH for coming by and leaving such a lovely comment. I will go and follow your twitter @The Reader and the Book. Hats off for being a tutor for struggling readers…sometimes the right person can turn a child’s life around. 😉
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A great review of a great book! 🙂
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I’m sure you read it back in the day when you were little, Erik. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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I don’t remember this classic, though I probably should! I’ve heard plenty of praise for it in recent years. Nice suggestion 🙂
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You know, there are so many books that I know I should have read, but didn’t. That’s why I’m so in love with Perfect Picture Book Friday, Christie…it gives me an excuse to rediscover some really awesome stories. 😉
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What great activities you have, Vivian! And a fun book. Win-win.
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So glad you like the activities, Sue! Win-win is right…reading books like this one is a great way for parents to spend quality time with their kids….and it’s fun for parent and child. 🙂
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Great choice, Vivian! Have added this to my library list. Thanks!
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This book has always cracked me up! Thanks for sharing this post at Booknificent Thursday!
Tina
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