Jamaica and the Substitute Teacher

ANNOTATION

Jamaica copies from a friend during a spelling test because she wants a perfect paper, but her substitute teacher Mrs. Duval helps her understand that she does not have to be perfect to be special.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Jamaica likes the substitute teacher, Mrs. Duval, right away. So when there's a spelling test, of course Jamaica wants to please her by spelling all the words right. But this time something goes wrong and Jamaica has to make an important decision. . . . What will Mrs. Duval think of her now?

FROM THE CRITICS

Sesame Street Parents

This latest book in a series about a spunky girl named Jamaica touches on a common dilemma, the fear of failure. Jamaica wants to make a good impression on Mrs. Duval, her substitute teacher, so she cheats on a test. When she confesses, Mrs. Duval says, "you know, Jamaica, you don't have to be perfect to be special in my class." The drawings, which show a smart, eager child in a diverse classroom, are as sensitive as the text.

Children's Literature

Oh no! Everything had been going so well with Mrs. Duval, the substitute teacher in Jamaica's class. Jamaica and her good friend Brianna were thrilled when Mrs. Duval told the class that for the week she would be with them, they would work hard but have fun, too. Sure enough, they started the day with a game. The class was told to search the classroom for an animal they talked about last week when they studied Antarctica. Jamaica found the penguin in the flowerpot. Reading group went perfectly, as did math. When it came to the spelling test, Jamaica wanted a perfect paper but she couldn't remember one word and her eyes wandered to Brianna's paper. When she looked up, Mrs. Duval was looking right at her. What should she do to make things right with Mrs. Duval? Welcome to Jamaica's warm world, to meet her friends and see her school. The story puts you in the middle of a childhood situation that is treated with respect and sensitivity. The text and illustrations work together beautifully to capture all the emotions of a day that works out more perfectly than Jamaica could have imagined. 1999, Houghton Mifflin, $15.00 and $5.95. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer:Barbara Kennedy

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Jamaica and her classmates have a substitute teacher for the week. Mrs. Duval is warm, encouraging, and fun, and the children are eager to please her. When it's time for the spelling test, Jamaica realizes that she's forgotten to study and copies from a friend. Troubled, she confesses to Mrs. Duval, who reassures her that she doesn't have to be perfect to be special in her class. The full-color artwork depicts a modern classroom with a diverse student body. O'Brien focuses her attention and detail on the two main characters, bringing them visually to the front of the illustrations. A delightful story with a gentle message.-Alice DiNizo, Plainfield Public Schools, NJ Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Terri Schmitz - The Horn Book Magazine

Havill treats the moral dilemmas of childhood with sensitivity and respect.

Kirkus Reviews

Jamaica (Jamaica and Brianna, 1993, etc.) is back in another a gentle story, and in for another moral dilemma. Her class has a calm, smiling substitute teacher, Mrs. Duval, who explains that while the regular teacher is absent, "I plan for us to work hard, but we'll have fun, too." Jamaica earns high praise for her reading aloud, for finding the hidden penguin, and for answering math puzzles, but when she gets to the spelling test, she can't remember how to spell "calf." Yielding to temptation, she looks at her friend's paper. The tests are corrected, and she gets 100%, but Jamaica knows she copied and doesn't turn the paper in, later confessing (unprompted) to her behavior. The teacher praises Jamaica's courage in admitting she cheated, and says, "You don't have to be perfect to be special in my class. All my students are special. I'm glad you're one of them." The softly colored pastel drawings show Jamaica, her range of emotions, appealing classmates, and the teacher's kindly nature. This sensitive treatment of the topic makes the book ideal for group discussion. (Picture book. 6-9) .