Module 1: Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook

A. Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook is a tale in which a 2nd grader by the name of Zack is enchanted by the reading skills of his new teacher, the titular Miss Smith.  Though initially reluctant to enjoy reading, the stories within Miss Smith's book seem to come alive to Zack and the rest of his class.  While things go well, when the the school principal, Rittenrotten, is charged with filling in for Miss Smith briefly, things quickly spiral out of control.  Eventually, between the principal and the children, a number of story characters are crowding up the classroom as more stories are read without being finished.  Eventually, Miss Smith arrives to set things right, much to the chagrin of the principal, but to the delight of the class.

B.  Garland, M. (2003). Miss smith's incredible storybook. New York, New York: Dutton Children's Books.

C. The book is of good quality, and one I think I would have enjoyed as a child.  It incorporates the best part of reading fiction, namely the visual aspect.  The whimsical imaginings of the class helps encourage the young readers to become good readers like Miss Smith.  Storybook characters are depicted as beings controlled by experienced readers and the best stories can convey the feeling of being part of the world an author has created.  This is how I primarily connect to reading and it conveys the idea in easy to understand, yet profound concepts.

D. "The brightly-colored pictures will instantly hold little ones spellbound as the story reveals how stories can indeed take readers to a place far away." -Bridget Slayden

Garland, M. (2004). Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook (Book). Library Media Connection, 22(6), 56. 

"A brief but animated invitation to the pleasures of reading, as well as a tribute to unconventional teacherseverywhere."

MISS SMITH'S INCREDIBLE STORYBOOK (Book). (2003). Kirkus Reviews, 71(11), 803.

E. The primary assignment for children who have recently heard or read this book would be to have them draw a scene from their favorite story.  It would be good to encourage them to put as much detail into as they can think of.  The idea is to get them to think about stories as more than just words, but as mental "pictures" as well.