Karen's New Teacher

Baby-Sitters Little Sister #21

by Ann M. Martin

Karen is devastated when her favorite teacher, Ms. Colman, takes time off and is replaced by strict, unfriendly Miss Hoffman whose list of rules cramps Karen's style

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Friendship, Juvenile

103 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...

Reviews

[TheSuperKim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The world from the point of view of a seven-year old, spoiled rich white girl.
Imagine having two families, two houses, two rooms, two beds, two bikes, just wow. The horror of leaving behind your favorite blanket so many times that you had to cut it in half, when you're supposed to go Rollerblading but you forgot your Rollerblades on the other house. Ugh. God bless.

Anyway, the story goes that Karen's teacher, Ms. Colman is required to undergo an operation so a substitute has taken over and of course it all went downhill for Karen because, how dare this temp teacher not show her favoritism and punish her for her wrong deeds? Ugh. Right?

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I became a sub, I vowed to be as much like Hatey Haldey as possible. "Oh noes! Consequences!"

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this episode of Karen, Ms Colman is taken over by an alien entity known only as H. Off. Man. The alien wraps itself around Ms Colman's spinal column and latches onto her nervous system, causing her to stand up straighter, walk stiffly and give consequences to the members of her classroom. Karen vows to fight the H. Off. Man, the only way she knows how: by disobeying rules.

At first the H. Off. Man fights back, and her power over Ms Colman grows stronger. But soon Karen and her classmates peck away at the alien entity, and Ms Colman begins to return. The H. Off. Man's power weakens and Ms Colman slowly strips it away until she returns, whole once more.

[Brian Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book so much it was a great one. I liked the end and they got to know their teacher well their new teacher I liked the tricks and one chapter was called the first trick the title of the book was Karen's new teacher.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which Karen is upset that she has a mean new substitute teacher that actually gives her consequences.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

We meet Hatey Hoffman! Karen and her class aren't keen on the substitute teacher's strict rules, so they do pranks on her. Turns out she has a sense of humour, so things turn out well.

I didn't think Mrs Hoffman's rules were all that terrible, but I can see how she can seem cold and unfriendly compared to the warmer Ms Colman. I do think she could have done better at classroom management from the start; at times her "where are your best manners?" schtick seemed almost cartoonish.

[Sayo -bibliotequeish-]

When you were too old for childrens books, but too young for The Baby Sitters Club.
Ann M. Martin really is a genius to piggy back on the success of The Baby Sitters Club.

After reading the little sisters series I remember feeling like a real adult opening up that first BSC book.

[JH · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about how Karen’s beloved teacher has to be absent for a month from school due to a health issue, and the substitute is overly strict until the kids communicate with her more, then she lightens up and they all love her.

[Rayjan Koehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

So in this book a strict substitute teacher enters a class while a more lenient teacher has to take time off for a surgery & recovery (one month).

The kids don't really understand how to communicate their frustrations with things, and do weird pranks that don't make much sense to me (like everyone but one student who at first refuses to partake purposely knocking their science books off their desks at the same time). Eventually they are able to communicate better, and find some understanding. The teacher also comes in seeming to have a preconceived notion the class is full of rowdy brats or something (did the regular teacher even communicate with the sub by a note or email or something?), somehow by the end they get to a place of better understanding.


Also there was a part where Karen does an essay about the sub, and it seems like a missed opportunity to make Karen stay after class & try to talk to her or send her to a school counselor or something..The sub just grades the paper, and seems to either not notice it's about her or not care still giving her an A. At the end Karen does rip her paper up, and submit a nicer one for her substitute teacher to read & re-grade.


The sub really doesn't make an attempt to work with the kids- just buckle-down, and try to correct the kids behaviour by yelling at them & demanding obedience. None of the kids complain to their parents or if they do the parents don't talk to the school.


Also it's like she was playing mind games with the kids or something-- she came in making the kids move to sit in alphabetical order, and ignored the students with glasses were in the front of the class. After everyone finally communicates about their frustrations, she magically knows & mentions wanting the students with glasses in their places at the front of the classroom.


It was kind of annoying in the beginning where there are a list of things that Kareb has 2 of because after her parents divorced they remarried, and of course taking a bike & other such items between houses would be a pain in the neck.

I hadn't read any of the Little Sister books back in the day, but this one would have left me confused with what in the world was going on with the so-called pranks.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Colman was out of school for a month to have an operation, so Mrs. Hoffman substituted for Karen's class. Karen did not like that Mrs. Hoffman was strict and enforced classroom rules. ". . . Karen was used to a teacher who understood that she was the youngest one in the class. And who would remind her to use her indoor voice. And who had never sent her to stand in the corner."

Maybe Karen was not emotionally mature enough for second grade if Ms. Colman accommodated her due to her age. (Karen skipped first grade, so was a year younger than her second grade classmates.) Also, while I do not agree with having Karen stand in the corner, I think she may benefit from having more consequences because Ms. Colman's gentle reminders do little to curb Karen's undesirable behaviors. I wished the class had shown more respect for the substitute, even though they did not like her — 2.5 stars.

[Laura Pickles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Karen’s new teacher because it talked about her teacher Miss Coleman had to go to her house and a teacher, Miss petig gave Karen and her friend Nancy named tags because she would forget people’s name then Misspeig left miss Colemans classroom and Miss Hoffman went to Miss Coleman‘s classroom and Karen thought Mrs. Hoffman was not very nice so she give Mrs. Hoffman a new name she gave it Haiti Hoffman because Mrs. Hoffman was not very nice the end

[Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts off with learning about fractions with paper pizzas, then Ms. Colman informs the class that she has to have surgery, so a substitute would be there for the next few weeks. Karen didn't like her at all and acted spoiled throughout the book. Wouldn't really recommend this one.

[koza]

A sub makes Karen use her indoor voice and stand in a corner when she breaks a rule, so Karen gets the whole class to prank her until she conforms to Karen's will.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many reviews hating on Karen in this book, but c'mon, Mrs Hoffman was AWFUL. Too much "children should be seen and not heard" and not enough making learning fun.

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This book was good! I really liked it! You should read this book! It had a nice ending! The end

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst thing about these books is that Karen never faces her comeuppance. In this one, a stern teacher seems to be the one to teach her a lesson, but instead the class bullies her until she becomes a doormat like everyone else.

[Cws]

JEAR2LS-Mar

[Em's Adventures · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen is cute but a little annoying-like lots of children!

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13118618