147. The Year of Miss Agnes

The Year of Miss Agnes. Kirkpatrick Hill. 2000/2020. 128 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "What will happen now?" I asked Mamma as we watched the plane take the teacher away. 

Premise/plot: Fred (Frederika) is skeptical that the new teacher will last long. Life in their small Alaskan village is too rough and tough on most teachers. But their small village has enough students--the minimum is six--for a school to be established if only they can get a teacher to come...to come and stay. Their last teacher didn't last long at all. But this teacher, Agnes Sutterfield, is all kinds of wonderful. Different in every way that matters, that counts. For the first time, the students feel their teacher has invested in them. But will she stay? That one question drives the narrative forward. 

Historical fiction set in Alaska in 1948/1949. This is a one-room school house in a small village.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I enjoy historical fiction novels. (That is probably obvious by now). I love teaching stories. (I do.) This one was solidly good. If I had one complaint--and I suppose I do--it was just a little too short. It's like we get in-depth coverage of her first week or two of school and then super-super-super fast forward to the last day of school. When we only had two or three pages left of the novel and the story still hadn't come to any satisfying conclusion, I was VERY WORRIED. But it got there just in time. Barely. Another fifty to seventy-five pages and this one would have been A++++++. 

I really loved the inclusion of Bokko, Fred's sister, who is deaf. I loved how Miss Agnes taught her as well and got the whole town excited about including her.

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

How Rocket Learned to Read

How Rocket Learned to Read. Tad Hills. 2010. July 2010. Random House. 40 pages.

Rocket loved to play. He loved to chase leaves and chew sticks. He loved to listen to the birds sing.
Every fall morning, after chasing leaves, Rocket would lie down in his favorite spot under his favorite tree. There he'd sniff the neighborhood smells and settle in for a good nap.

One day--while Rocket is happily snoozing--he is interrupted by a small yellow bird. A bird who proclaims herself a teacher. A bird who says that his favorite favorite napping spot is her classroom. Rocket never meant to become so interested in reading--in learning--but he finds the stories Bird reads to be irresistible. He can't help but want to learn to read after hearing her read such great books. So the instruction begins...

I loved How Rocket Learned to Read. I thought it was adorable. Not adorable in the oh-how-precious way. But in the that was so fun, so charming way. I found Rocket and his teacher, the little bird, to be a charming pair. I loved the bird's enthusiasm and passion. Like Rocket, I see how this teacher-bird would be difficult to argue with! I loved Rocket's growing enthusiasm as well. I loved how bird was able to gently tease him into her classroom. (That spread was my favorite.)

I loved the illustrations for this one as well.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers