Module 1 - Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook

Cover art from listing in WorldCat.org

Bibliography

Garland, M. (2005). Miss Smith's incredible storybook. New York: Puffin Books.   

Summary

It is the first day of second grade and Zach expects his new teacher, Miss. Smith, to be as boring as his teacher was last year. After meeting her, Zach realizes that she is definitely not like his other teacher. Miss. Smith not only does not look like the other teachers in school but she also does not tell stories like them either. When she reads from her storybook, the characters come alive. One day Miss Smith is late for school so the principal decides to read from her storybook. The appearance of a fire-breathing dragon and a group of pirates leave a frightened principal and all of the student hoping Miss Smith will make it to school in time to prevent a disaster.

My Impressions

I loved both the story and the illustrations. All I can say is that I wish I had a teacher like Miss. Smith when I was in elementary school. Stories like Miss Smith’s incredible storybook show kids that books can be exciting if only given a chance.

Reviews

 

School Library Journal

Gr. 1-4 - Zack's exciting new teacher has a magic storybook. When she opens it up and reads aloud, the characters pop out and bring the tales to life right before the students' eyes. But Miss Smith's book isn't for everybody, and when stuffy Principal Rittenrotten has to fill in for her one morning, the dragon, princess, and knight that materialize from the pages send him from the room in a panic. The only way to make them disappear is to finish their respective stories, but Zack's classmates keep beginning new ones instead, until the school is overrun with Goldilocks, the Mad Hatter, and other such characters, seen vividly cavorting across the full-page spreads. Fortunately, Miss Smith shows up just in time and returns them to the safety of the book's pages, leaving the principal confused and her students forever in her debt. The lively, bright illustrations have a glossy, computer-generated quality that young readers will appreciate. Miss Smith wears a black leather jacket and a lapel button advertising "The Clash," and has a punk-rock hairdo. A satisfactory addition to most collections.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Suggested Activities

Miss Smith’s incredible storybook would be a great book for a first to fifth grade reading or language arts teacher to read on the first day of class. Used as an introduction to a storytelling or reading program, the teacher could use the characters that come alive in the story to spark interest in other stories.