If you are a teacher who is giving a standardized test, this is the book for you! Our Media Clerk put this book in the staff lounge. It was an instant hit with us all! Reading about Miss Malarkey and her experiences with the "IPTU" test was just the "tension breaker" I needed! I found that I had said many of the same things to my students that she had! "No, this won't affect your grade" and "Yes, you will get to go to the next grade, even if you don't do well on this test." Bravo, Judy Finchler!!

"The Test"...Miss Malarkey said it wasn't important, it's not on your report cards, there's no extra homework and whether you do well or not, you still get promoted to the next grade. Okay, so why is she biting her nails? And why are we playing Multiplication Mambo and Funny Phonics at recess? The principal is tense and worried about number 2 pencils. The cafeteria is only serving fish, brain food. In art we're practicing filling in small circles and in gym, Mr Fittanuff is teaching us yoga. It's even a little weird at home. After my mom read me my bedtime story, she made me complete a review sheet before I could go to sleep. Finally the day of "The Test" arrives..... Judy Finchler and Kevin O'Malley have written and illustrated a charming, witty story, both youngsters and adults will really be able to identify with, that pokes fun at all the standardized test-taking kids are faced with these days. Their easy to read, true to life text and funny, expressive artwork will have teachers, students and parents laughing out loud as everyone goes a little overboard getting ready for "The Test." And after testing week, as everybody and everything gets back to normal, Miss Malarkey's class decides that maybe "The Test" really wasn't that important after all!

Any teacher who has taught even a year recently well understands the horrors of testing, and days when there are more teachers than students in the nurse's office.

Testing Miss Malarkey deals with the testmania which is being inflicted on our children in a humorous, yet unfortunately accurate way. Schools may not be teaching how to color in circles in art class-but there are many which have eliminated art to make room for test prep.

I would also suggest Susan Ohanian's
"What happened to recess and why are our children struggling in kindergarten"-the adult side of the story, but the same, sad tale.

...All of the kids in room 10 think that all of the teachers live in the school. Until one day, their teacher moves into to the same apartment building as one of the students. The student tries to prove to some of the students that the teachers don't really live at the school, and he does. I think this is a great book and I hope that you get to read it some day too...

Whenever my students see my outside of the school setting, they are always shocked. This book is about a boy was sure all the teachers lived at school, ate dinner in the cafeteria, slept in the lounge, etc., until his teacher moves in to his apartment building. Oh no!! He not only sees her carrying out garbage, but sees her wearing sandals that reveal she has TOES!! This is cute for kids (who still may persist in believing teachers live at school), and it would be an ideal gift for the soon-to-be-teacher. Funny text and pictures make this a winner for 6-8 year olds.

If you are a teacher, this book is a must have!! This book shows students that teachers have a life outside of school. How many of us can remember seeing our teacher in an outing in town, and wonder what they were doing outside of school? This book is an EXCELLENT book for the classroom teacher to have.

The book is light-hearted and fun and guaranteed to be a hit with children. All kids can relate to the chaos of having a substitute teacher in the classroom. The pictures are great, and the small details add to the humor. It it creative and funny for both children and adults!