Miss Daisy Is Crazy!

July 19, 2004
Well tailored for beginning and reluctant readers, this light, appealingly goofy debut tale in the My Weird School series features short chapters, a relatively large typeface and ample cartoon-style illustrations. On the first day of second grade, narrator A.J. introduces himself to his new teacher by announcing that he likes football and video games—and hates school. He and his classmates are shocked when Miss Daisy replies, "You know what, A.J.? I hate school too." And then
she confides that she doesn't understand arithmetic and that she can't read, slyly soliciting her students' help in both subjects. The kids conclude that she just might be an imposter, but wisely decide not to tell the principal, thinking that she'll be replaced by a "real teacher" who knows the three Rs, and then they'll have to learn "all that stuff." The kids' attempts to educate their teacher allows Gutman to slip a sprinkling of math challenges and vocabulary definitions into his breezy narrative, but the lesson of the day here is fun rather than facts. As affable as Miss Daisy, the school's principal goes to the head of the class in the series' second installment, Mr. Klutz Is Nuts!
(ISBN 0-06-050700-4), also due this month. Ages 7-10.

September 1, 2004
Gr. 1-3. Second-grader A. J. hates school, but he has to admit that Miss Daisy isn't like any teacher he has had before. She enjoys watching TV and eating chocolate just like A. J., and she is always asking her students for help solving problems in math and spelling. She also takes A. J.'s suggestion to turn the school into a video-game arcade seriously. Principal Klutz agrees to "rent out" the school for a night (and wear a gorilla suit) if the children read a million pages. Can they do it? The humorous, simply written story, first in the My Weird School series, gets its zest largely from A. J.'s lively, first-person commentary on school life and legend. Reluctant students will have no trouble relating to A. J., and breezy Miss Daisy illustrates how respecting kids and balancing learning with fun can produce positive results. The occasional cartoon line drawings are a good fit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)