Teacher Jitters

When children have that lightbulb moment where they realize that adults have feelings too, their world shrinks and gets a little more comprehensible, and suddenly, empathy is born. There’s also power in adults being honest with their feelings. This title addresses all of that and more, demonstrating how adults and kids can have similar experiences. Mrs. Hartwell tells her students she has to go to a teacher class the next day, and she’s nervous. The kids band together to remind her of the coping mechanisms she has taught them, adding some of their own wisdom into the mix. The rest of the book outlines Mrs. Hartwell’s day in a new class, with fears that seem familiar to anyone who’s stepped in a new school. The expressive ­faces and outlandish situations depicted in the ­illustrations drive home that ­everyone, even grown-ups, are students at heart. ­VERDICT An amusing disruption of the norm, teaching kids how to handle nerves by cleverly making the student the master.—School Library Journal

Julie Danneberg is the author of John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall, Monet Paints a Day, and Family Reminders, as well as the best-selling Jitters Series. She is a retired middle-school teacher.

Judy Love is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and has illustrated numerous children’s books, including First Day Jitters and Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family.

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