Miss Nelson Is Missing! [Paperback]

Harry G. Allard Jr. (Author), James Marshall (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1985 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

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!

Editorial Reviews

Review

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

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; Reissue edition (October 28, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395401461
• ISBN-13: 978-0395401460
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.2 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Values

More About the Author

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Childhood Favorite! And It's Still Great Today! August 29, 2002

By Michael Crane

Format:Paperback

As I mentioned in my review of "Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales," I am taking a Children's Lit class in college, which requires me to read a lot of children's books. So, this is a great excuse for me to write more reviews. If you want to make fun of me for liking these books, so be it. I could care less.

"Miss Nelson is Missing" was always a childhood favorite for me. One of my first picture books I ever read, I think. I even remember that my copy came with a record that you could listen along to as you read. Wow, does that bring back memories. I picked this up a few days ago, and found myself enjoying it as much as I did when I was little, if not more.

This is a book about a sweet and nice teacher who has one of the most terrible classes ever. Everyone is mean and nobody ever listens to her. Miss Nelson knows that something has to be done.

One day, when she doesn't arrive to class, the children are so happy. They think they have driven her away forever. They are all smiles and grins.....until....

They meet Miss. Viola Swamp, an ugly and mean teacher dressed in black and white makeup. She puts them to work, yells at them, and makes them do tons and TONS of homework. Desperate and worried, the children turn to a detective in order to solve the whereabouts of Miss Nelson.

This book is incredible. Fun for all ages, especially the young ones. It's fun and gives a good moral lesson at the same time. It has great writing and very cool pictures. The reading level is pretty easy. Nothing too mind-bending behind it.

I recommend "Miss Nelson is Missing!" to ANYONE! Yes, I don't care how old you are. You're never too old to enjoy a good children's book, and I'm starting to re-discover that. Check this one out whenever you can. And if you have kids, I can almost promise you that this will be a favorite.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Miss Nelson! Come back, Miss Nelson! June 3, 2004

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Like a lot of children, I came to discover Miss Nelson in a kind of roundabout way. A child of the 80s, I am a first-generation "Reading Rainbow" graduate. Which is to say, I watched it from the beginning. One of the earliest episodes of this remarkable PBS program was a reading of the story "Miss Nelson Is Back". For years I lay under the mistaken impression that this was the first, heck the ONLY Miss Nelson book put together by that crazy duo of Harry Allard and James Marshall. Imagine my surprise when I discovered (much to my delight) the delightful "Miss Nelson Is Missing". Here is where the Miss Nelson saga all started, and it is a joy to page through.

As the book points out immediately, the kids in Room 207 were the worst behaved class in the whole school. They were rude and nasty and they didn't pay any attention to their sweet-natured teacher Miss Nelson. One day, however, Miss Nelson does not come to school. In her place is the nasty, mean, foul-tempered witch Miss Viola Swamp. A true crone through and through, Miss Swamp immediately whips the children into shape. They are crushed by homework and forced to work that's long and hard. It's not too long after Miss Swamp's arrival that the children start yearning for the lovely Miss Nelson. Unfortunately, no one seems to be able to find her. Finally, one day Miss Nelson comes back and the class is as well behaved as it can be. Only the telltale black dress hanging in Miss Nelson's closet suggests that there may have been more to the class's transformation than initially met the eye.

The story is one that children instantly love. After all, they feel incredibly intelligent when they discover on their own that Miss Nelson and Miss Viola Swamp are one and the same. Combine the funny text with James Marshall's goofy pictures and you've got yourself a fabulous classic. Mr. Marshall once noted that he based the design of Miss Viola Swamp on a teacher he once had (and disliked so much that he was able to reincarnate her years later as the world's ultimate horrible teacher). There's a lot to love in these pictures as well. When a child writes math problems on the blackboard, some of the answers are a little off. Children carry textbooks that read "Facts and More Facts" on their spines. Best of all, Mr. Marshall never fails to put a little drop of his beloved Texas into the pictures somewhere. Altogether, this book's a joy to flip through.

If you've a kid who has a quirky sense of humor and likes to see naughty children put in their places, definitely give this book a shot. It's a beautiful undertaking filled with great visual gags and an amusing text. Also be sure to seek out its sequels.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully silly tale engages children and more December 26, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

The kids in sweet Miss Nelson's class are rude and obnoxious, until a mean substitute replaces her. By the time Miss Nelson returns, they have learned to show their appreciation by behaving well. A great moral, certainly, but hardly sugar-coated: the children's misbehavior and the substitute's grouchiness are outrageous and delightful. This book is one of the most engaging I've ever read to my kids(ages 4-7)and a great success with my ADD child who normally has a hard time sitting through a story. It provides a great platform for inferencing and theory of mind work.