The Attack of the 50-Foot Teacher [Hardcover]

Lisa Passen (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

It was Halloween. And it was a school day.
The children were eager for school to be over.
Everyone was excited about going trick or treating.

Everyone except Miss Irma Birmbaum, the toughest teacher in town. She's so mean that she assigns homework on Halloween!

That very night, however, after she receives a surprise visit from an alien spacecraft, Miss Irma Birmbaum is mysteriously transformed into ... The Fifty-Foot Teacher. As if things weren't bad enough for Miss Birmbaum's class! Can anything save Halloween for these kids, or will their giant teacher spoil the fun?

Inspired by the "good old, bad old" science fiction movies that turn up on TV each October, Lisa Passen has created a hilarious tale that proves even the meanest teacher might just have a heart of gold.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Miss Irma Birmbaum, the toughest, meanest teacher in town, assigns homework on Halloween night, the children all moan in despair. But when Miss Irma Birmbaum takes a detour on the way home and encounters a UFO that turns her into a 50-foot tall teacher, the trick-or-treating children are truly petrified. Their now-huge teacher scoops up the students and plops them in her enormous purse, then marches over to the principal's house to report them for not finishing their homework. Is there anything that will save these children from their big, scary teacher? Is it possible she remembers what fun it was to be a kid wearing a costume and stuffing herself with candy?

Clearly, Lisa Passen remembers. She also seems to have a pretty good memory for how it feels to be a tiny child at the mercy of seemingly giant authority figures. But she has the adult advantage of recognizing that Miss Irma Birmbaum is probably someone who just needs a little nudge to remember her own happier days and release the smiling self buried deep inside. The details are what tickle the reader's fancy: Miss Irma Birmbaum's itchy stockings, and her memory of herself as a smaller, smiley-er girl--complete with the same cat-eye-glasses and gray bouffant hairdo, plus pigtails. Would that all the mean, tough teachers out there could have life-altering run-ins with alien life forms. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Miss Irma Birmbaum, the cruelest teacher in the world, is turned into a 50-foot giant. Traveling home on Halloween night, her car is blocked by a spaceship. In response to her shouting for it to move, her body is enlarged to epic proportions. Trick-or-treaters are terrified as their teacher scoops them up, puts them in her purse, and delivers them to the principal's door. Principal Renfield berates this educator for giving homework on Halloween and for not remembering the fun she had as a child. In the end, Miss Birmbaum's homework assignment is to "have as much fun as you can!" The story line isn't as strong as the artwork. Watercolor cartoon characters with comical expressions contribute to the exaggerated humor in the plot. From the beginning, Miss Irma Birmbaum's stock character is vivid as she menacingly peers out from behind her butterfly-framed eyeglasses. Ample white space surrounds the large typeface and easy-to-read text. An additional purchase where Halloween stories are in demand.
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805061002
• ISBN-13: 978-0805061000
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,530,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review from an almost 50 foot teacher :), October 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Attack of the 50-Foot Teacher (Hardcover)

I first noticed this book in our school library (I teach 2nd grade) and had to get it since I'm a rather tall teacher myself. It is a cute Halloween story that my class enjoyed a lot. The illustrations are very vivid and the story is original. I enjoyed how the adults had to be reminded what it was like to be a kid, and the kids saw another side of their teacher that they didn't expect to see. My only complaint is that my students and I wished that more happened in the story. It seemed a little short.

5.0 out of 5 stars The way to get an out-or-print title, October 23, 2009

By 

Joseph J. Maniscalco (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Attack of the 50-Foot Teacher (Paperback)

As a school librarian, I've got many favorite titles. This out-of-print paperpack was priced right, and shipped promptly. The five stars is for the seller--though the book is good too!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Halloween Book!, October 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Attack of the 50-Foot Teacher (Paperback)

My 5-year-old son finds this book hilarious. It has wry, colorful pictures, and a funny story about a cranky old teacher who never smiles, until one Halloween night, when everything changes. We originally checked it out at the library, but now we plan on purchasing our own copy.