Meeting Miss 405

by Lois Peterson

Life is hard enough for Tansy with her depressed mom away indefinitely and her dad making a mess of things at home. But then Dad sends her down the hall to a wrinkly old babysitter named Miss Stella,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1554690153
• ISBN13: 9781554690152
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.2"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

A charming, feisty protagonist

Since her mother is unavailable while being treated for an illness, Tansy is required to report to a new babysitter, the mysterious Miss Stella who lives in apartment 405. Behind these doors, Miss Stella conducts a full, rich, and rather unusual life. Tansy is a real character: the kind of fun and feisty little girl our daughters frequently are. Tansy is working her way toward understanding complex problems, including her mother's illness, a classmate's life-threatening allergy, and her own complicated emotions. Peterson's prose is elegant, her language interesting. She gets inside a child's quirky head, yet never talks down to the reader. Highly recommended: a four wine-gum rating. (Why wine gums? Read the book to find out!) I look forward to more work from this fine author.

Perfectly Delightful

Crafted with originality, humor, revelations, and life truths that are integral to the story, Lois Peterson has written an entirely satisfying novel for young readers. It delights with its rhythm, color, sensory images, and a fully engaging heroine, who faces the reality of separation from her mother and shows how, in the face of adversity, a child can grow, thrive, care for others, and express her creativity. Although written for children, this is a book I highly recommend that adults read, for the sheer pleasure and the truths about life. -- Elizabeth Lyon, editor and author of six books on the craft of writing

Tansy and Miss Stella -- a delightful pair

Tansy's mom is ill and her father is distracted. He arranges for a rather odd, but nice, neighbour to care for Tansy after school. Miss Stella turns out not to have a TV, a computer, or a car, which Tansy thinks is bizarre. She discovers later Miss Stella is gifted and wise. Peterson weaves a delightful story with three dimensional characters and a great plot. Tansy learns to solve problems, become independent, and how to understand others through the gentle and unusual guidance of Miss Stella. The book is beautifully crafted. It is a REAL gem! I'm looking forward to many more children's books from Peterson. She has a fresh and enjoyable voice for young readers. Highly recommended.

You go girl.

Tansy's my kind of girl. Stands independently, but lets go when she learns the truthfullness about some parts of her life. A great little book. A great little read. Love Miss Stella. I do expect more good reads from Lois Peterson soon.