Dear Substitute

Without warning, Mrs. Giordano doesn’t show up for school, and room 102 is not the same without her. The substitute, Miss Pelly, is mixing things up. She doesn’t pronounce some of the students’ names correctly; she doesn’t collect last night’s homework. She doesn’t clean the turtle tank, and worst of all, she doesn’t choose the right line leader for the day.
Using a series of letters to express a young girl’s feelings, Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick capture the true essence of an elementary student adjusting to shifts in her world. Having a substitute without warning can be difficult for young students: the class routine is altered, a new person won’t understand the particular quirks of each student, but there is a lesson about life in experiences like this one.

I would recommend Dear Substitute to teachers and parents of students in kindergarten through second grade. The adorable illustrations will capture the young listener or reader’s eye, but most importantly, it will serve as a healthy example of how to adjust well.