Miss Nelson is Missing

Miss Nelson is Missing

Author: Harry Allard and James Marshall

Genre: Nonfiction

Grade Level: K - 3

Theme: Disorderly Children, Golden Rule

Summary: The children in Room 207 have always had it easy when it comes to Miss Nelson.  She is a wonderful, soft spoken teacher of good nature.  The children are faced with easy assignments and never get in any trouble.  But their lack of appreciation and gratitude will result in them getting the most evil substitute of all time...Miss Viola Swamp.  

Pre-Reading Activity: Ask the children, "what would be your dream teacher?"  "Would there be homework?"  "What would be the worst teacher?"  (hopefully they share your name in the dream teacher role and not the worst teacher)

Post-Reading Activity: Make a venn diagram with Miss Viola Swamp and Miss Nelson.  Ask the children where they think Miss Nelson went.  Ask the children why Miss Nelson didn't see Miss Viola Swamp in the hall.  

Reflection: This book was one of my favorite books as a child.  I have read this book to my son, who is 8 now, at night before bed many times.  I never gave away that Miss Nelson was actually Miss Viola Swamp.  I would secretly giggle to myself every time he would flip through the pages to try and figure it out.  But I knew that time would come to an end at some point.  Two years ago while reading this book, he finally had that "AHA" moment and figured it out.  Then he impressed me even more when he told me that is why you should always follow the golden rule.  I love this book and so does my son.  He even took it to his grandparents house to read to them to see if they could "figure it out."  Of course they played along and pretended they did not and he had that chuckle inside too.

About the Authors

Harry Allard was born in Evanston, Illinois on January 27th. He grew up in California, Long Island, and Chicago. He graduated from Northwestern College in 1943 and then performed active duty in Korea. He then lived in Paris for several years and became so fluent in the language that he got a master's degree and then a Ph.D. in French from Yale in 1973. He taught French at the college level for many years.

Upon his arrival in Boston, he met James Marshall, whose art and friendship inspired Allard's first book, The Stupids Step Out. This successful collaboration paved the way for the publication of other Stupids books and the Miss Nelson series. Miss Nelson is Missing was voted one of the most memorable books of the century.

Some Interesting Things I Found...

This is an example of a web chart that a classroom did for this book that I thought was exceptional.

Great idea for Halloween for two teachers Kindergarten, First, or Second Grade.  One dress as Miss Nelson and one dress as Miss Viola Swamp.