Harry Allard (1928–2017)

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall is a picture book that explores the central themes of consequences and gratitude. This story follows a teacher and her misbehaving class. The students in room 207 would not listen or settle down for their kind teacher, Miss. Nelson. When their kind teacher disappears, a terrifying substitute teacher, Miss Viola Swamp, appears and enforces strict discipline through consequences.
The authors convey these consequences by showing the show more juxtaposition from a kind teacher who just wanted the students to listen, to a teacher who was mean and gave piles of homework, would not let them talk, and threatened the students if they misbehaved. At the end of the book, the students show clear character development by changing their behavior, and Miss Nelson comes back demonstrating that they learned from their mistakes.
The author's illustration design instills emotional impact with unease, with Miss Viola Swamp looking like a scary witch. This visual representation reinforces the lesson that kindness shouldn't be taken for granted and serves as a powerful reminder for students about the value of a supportive teacher, especially when faced with a harsh alternative. show less

Sweet Miss Nelson has a new class of students in Room 207, but like their predecessors in Miss Nelson Is Missing!, they have a talent for trouble, and like to test the boundaries a bit! When Miss Nelson must miss a week of school, after having her tonsils out, the children at first imagine that this will give them the perfect opportunity to act up. Then they hear the stories of scary substitute teacher Miss Viola Swamp, who appeared the last time Miss Nelson was missing. But will even that show more threat be enough to dissuade them from misbehaving, when boring Principal Blandsworth turns out to be their substitute instead?

This humorous second adventure to feature Miss Nelson and her surly counterpart, Miss Swamp, is just as fun as the first, with twice as many devious disguises! Students and teacher both get in on the act (with an interesting double-disguise at one point) in Allard's droll narrative, which is perfectly matched by James Marshall's zany illustrations. The style here is rather cartoon-like - fans of the artist's George and Martha books will know what to expect - and works very well with the over-the-top story. All in all, Miss Nelson Is Back is a most engaging follow-up to the initial Miss Nelson adventure, and more than enough to convince me to pick up the third, Miss Nelson Has a Field Day! show less

When the rambunctious students in Room 207 act up one time too many, putting their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson on the spot yet again, they find that the consequences - in the form of a nasty substitute teacher named Miss Viola Swamp - are not to their liking. Suddenly, after being snapped at countless times, and practically crushed under the weight of all their new assignments, they suddenly discover that they miss Miss Nelson, and long for her return. But where is she...?

Adult readers show more will instantly know the answer to that question, as will observant younger ones (I always guessed reveals like this ahead of time, when I was a girl), but that won't prevent them from enjoying the story, in which a group of obnoxious kids learns to appreciate what they have in their (regular) teacher. The humor of Harry Allard's tale itself is greatly accentuated by James Marshall's illustrations - fans of the artist's George and Martha books know what to expect - which contain an abundance of quirky little details. I particularly liked the book title "Hard Words," in the scene in which the students are lugging towering piles of books, as well as the "Sharks (Very Unpleasant)" sign that accompanies the image of a shark munching on a person. Ha! With an amusing tale, complete with a surprise ending, and droll illustrations, Miss Nelson Is Missing is a title that elementary school students will love! show less

I loved this as a kid (and Viola Swamp stuck in my dad's memory, as well). The worst-behaved class with the nicest teacher gets a surprise when sweet Miss Nelson goes missing, and is replaced by Viola Swamp, who is strict and gives them lots of homework. When Miss Nelson returns, the kids are glad to have her back - and much reformed. Though the kids don't catch on, readers will notice some pretty clear indicators about Miss Nelson's alter ego.
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Re-read June 2025