Miss Nelson Is Missing!

by Harry Allard and Harry Allard

Book Overview

The classic, hilarious story of a misbehaving class, their sweet teacher, and the legendary substitute teacher who restores order in their chaotic classroom.

Miss Nelson's class always acts up--especially when their teacher is absent from school! But after a week with their strict substitute, Viola Swamp, the kids can't wait for Miss Nelson to come back.

Full of tongue-in-cheek humor and James Marshall's simply silly...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395252962
• ISBN13: 9780395252963
• Release Date: September 1977
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 10.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Good book

Good condition. My girls loved reading it.

Miss Nelson is Missing

In good condition. I had this as a child and got it to share with my kids. My daughter had read it in her school but was excited to see it (and the sequel I also bought here that she hadn’t read yet).

My favorite

Classic favorite of mine and passed down to my sons. Good read.

Miss Nelson is Missing!

Miss Nelson ROCKS!!! One of my favorite teachers! Early elementary kids love her too. Great reading circle choice.

Substitute's Best Friend

I used this book as a cautionary tale when I worked as a substitute teacher. I read it aloud to every class--including high school students. Sure enough, it helped them behave! (Plus it's a really fun read, especially the silly ideas the kids come up with for finding Miss Nelson.)

Miss Nelson! Come back, Miss Nelson!

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.

Another Childhood Favorite! And It's Still Great Today!

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.

Very Cute! A book all teachers should have!

Lovely Miss Nelson can't discipline her class and it shows. She is the brunt of their bad behavior. No problem, she knows what to do. She goes missing and in her place comes the horrible Miss Swamp. Miss Swamp whips (not literally) the kids into shape. When Miss Nelson returns the kids are well behaved and Miss Nelson is happy. Very cute. It certainly is true and all kids quickly learn that if you don't behave well, the Miss Nelson in all of us will come out.

Wonderfully silly tale engages children and more

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.