Miss Daisy is Crazy!
My Weird School #1  
By Dan Gutman
Illustrated by Jim Paillot

   A.J. is a no nonsense kid. When he introduces himself to the class on the first day of 2nd grade, he says, “I like football and video games, and I hate school.” Miss Daisy handles his declaration with grace and announces that she, too, hates school. The children are scandalized but instantly love her. As the days go by, A.J. proclaims his disdain for various school subjects. Miss Daisy follows suit but ups the ante by pretending she doesn’t know how to read or do arithmetic. The children, feeling sorry for her, try to teach her how to multiply, divide, and spell. By the end, A.J. suspects that maybe Miss Daisy does know how to do all those things, but if she doesn’t, she must be the stupidest teacher there is.

    The language and the setting in this early chapter book are appropriate for 7-10 year olds, and this would be an excellent book for reluctant readers. The characters are silly; the action is fast paced and will easily hold the attention of readers. It accurately gets into the mind of A.J., a child who knows how to do his schoolwork but would rather be playing video games. It also lets children in on the secret that adults don’t necessarily have all the answers.

     Miss Daisy is Crazy is the first book in the “My Weird School” series.