Remembering Mrs. Rossi

by Amy Hest, Heather Maione (Illustrator)

In this enchanting and tender story, acclaimed author Amy Hest brings two of her most vivid characters to life and guides them through a year full of change.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Death, Middle Grade, Family, Chapter Books, Childrens, Fiction

143 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 2007

About the author

Amy Hest is a three-time winner of the Christopher Medal and winner of the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Nancy O'Toole · Rating 1 out of 5]

In Remembering Mrs. Rossi, young Annie is recovering from the sudden an unexpected death of her mother, a school teacher. The book follows her through the season as she learns to appreciate her mother's memory, and become used to her now single parent family. Remembering Mrs. Rossi deals with the subject of death and recovery with kid gloves. The author is obviously not looking to write a sad story, but one of a girl fondly remembering her mother. The protagonist, Annie, who is often selfish and pushy, may seem irritating to adult reader, but will probably relate better with the novels intended audience, children. There are a few instance in which the dialogue of the young characters feel a little unrealistic, but for the most part, it is passable. The book is spotted with friendly illustrations by Heather Maione, who does a solid job of putting faces on Annie and her father. During the beginning of the novel, Annie and her father are given a scrapbook with memories of Mrs. Rossi from the class she taught before her death. This scrapbook is included in this book, and takes place after the final chapter. Although the scrapbook may be interesting to those curious about what Annie has been reading throughout the book, for the most part it feels unnecessarily tacked on once the story has already finished. I suspect it would have been more effective if a select few of the memories had been either woven into the story, or interwoven between the chapters. Although Remembering Mrs Rossi didn't necessarily satisfy or interest me as a reader, I feel that there still is a place for this gentle treatment of death among children who have lost someone dear.
Recommended Grade Level- 2-5
Genre- realistic fiction

[Raven 🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

in elementary school, this was my go-to book and it's safe to say it's still a childhood favorite..didn't expect anything less tho 🥰.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thia is such a sad story:( if you read it the story tells you about Annies life.
LOVE THIS BOOK READ THIS

[Addison Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie Rossi’s life changed the day that her mother died. Now she spends her days with her father, with both adjusting to a life on their own. The main focus of the story is on Annie as she remembers what her mother was like, and also her frustrations with things not going how they once were when her mother was alive. Something that does bring comfort to Annie and her father, is the scrapbook that her mother’s 6th grade class put together for them. As they look through the pages, they can see that they are not alone in the sadness that they feel for the loss of Mrs. Rossi, and that some many people have fond memories of her.

This book addresses the difficulty of coping with the loss of a loved one, especially the challenges that are faced by children. We also see that there is hope in this very difficult time.

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Letters to Leo, I discovered this book existed. I thought it would be neat to read more about Annie and her father around the time her mother died.

Unfortunately, I didn't get what I expected. I had hoped for more about her mother, and more about how Annie and her father coped immediately after her mother's death. The book is called "Remembering Mrs. Rossi" but it felt like it was more about Annie's life than about her mother. We didn't even get to see what the kids wrote in their book until the very end.

This just felt disconnected from chapter-to-chapter, but would probably go over better with the book's intended age group.

[Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed by the lack of depth to this book. I think there are some parts of a small child's grief that it portrays realistically and in a way that would be accessible to a younger child, which is good, but overall I found myself struggling to get through the tedious writing and wishing there was more depth to the story.

[♡ Genesis Medel ♡]

I’m obviously not going to rate this book since I’m not it’s targeted demographic so it wouldn’t make any sense for me to give it a rating. However, I do want to talk about how cute this book was.

First of all, I want to point out that I didn’t buy this book (lol) it was given to me during a trip to Colorado a while ago. Well, technically, it wasn’t “given” to me, it was more of left off in a table that had a sign saying “free books”, so I chose this one, or did it choose me?

So here I go with this short review:

☻ Things I liked ☻

• This book was just so adorable. Annie has to go through so much just by the mere fact of losing someone as close to her as her mother. And that book that was given to her by her mother’s students, almost brought me to tears :,( I’m a crybaby, I know.

• I feel like everyone, on a different level, relates to this book because, just like Annie, as kids, we tend to exaggerate things and make a huge deal of something that probably won’t matter in the next five minutes. It just took me back to my wild young years as a rebel lol

☹ Things I didn’t like ☹

• The chapters were a bit too long. Personally a like it when chapters are short simply because it makes me feel like I’m going through the book at a faster pace. I feel like this was my only complaint.

[Alyssa Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's a children's story, but I cannot help to grieve for Mrs. Rossi. Annie and her dad must have a hard time coping up with the lost of the woman they both greatly love. However, I was also appalled and touched of how they managed to get through life without Mrs. Rossi, still kind and goodhearted to other people.

[Judy E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remembering Mrs. Rossi is a family story where eight year old Annie remembers her wonderful mother who has passed away. Annie, who is an only child, and her father learn to cope with their grief and are uplifted by the fact that Mrs. Rossi’s sixth grade students have compiled a literary book of their memories…a sweet and heartfelt story that might help a child who has lost a parent.

[Elizabeth Castro · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay story until it ended abruptly, with added "bonus" of character's thoughts after finishing. The fictional child who was angry about making an entry into the book written for their dead teacher's family was, in my opinion, over the top.

[Alyiah.Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about Annie Rosie's mother got sick and nobody expected her to die.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender book, perfect for 3rd grade, about the loss of a loved one. Really sweet.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight-year-old Annie's mom has passed away, and she and her father must navigate their shared grief as they each cope in individual ways. A very sweet and touching story.

[Sandra Sweazy]

This book is helpful for children dealing with the death of a parent.

[tori almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally loved this book from like middle school even into high school— it’s sweet and i am just going through and adding books from my shelf lol

[Mrs. Reichert's Class · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean it was ok but it just didn't really make since to me that well

[Yashika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book during my childhood and this book always made me emotional over the death of losing a loved one. Especially the letters at the back used to make me so sad.

[Allena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book it was sad but it was awesome

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie lives with her father, Professor Rossi, in New York City, where the two of them are mourning the loss of Annie’s mom, Mrs. Rossi, who was a sixth grade teacher. The mourning process is very difficult, especially for Annie, who finds that her dad just doesn’t do things the way her mom would. Both Annie and her dad find solace, however, in a book created by Mrs. Rossi’s sixth graders in which they share their memories of their beloved teacher.

Thanks to Jennifer’s review at Jean Little Library, I recently learned that Letters to Leo, which I previously reviewed, is actually a sequel to this book! Remembering Mrs. Rossi provides the backstory about Annie’s mother’s death, and her fondness for her teacher, Miss Meadows. Though Letters to Leo made perfect sense without this background, I enjoyed fitting the pieces together and getting a better sense of Annie’s personality and circumstances. I also thought it was interesting that each book incorporated documents. In Letters to Leo, Annie writes letters to her dog; in Remembering Mrs. Rossi, Mrs. Rossi’s students write notes, essays, and stories for Annie and her dad.

I think the greatest strength of Remembering Mrs. Rossi is its portrayal of Annie’s emotions. We understand Annie’s grief and longing for her mother, but we also see little glimmers of hope as things begin to settle into a routine once again. We even see moments of happiness as Annie remembers her mother. The story is gentle in its presentation of each emotion, and kids who have lost a parent will no doubt appreciate those careful nudges toward healing much more than any heavy-handed preaching.

My only complaint is about the way the book is divided. The first portion of the story is straight prose from Annie’s point of view, while the second part is the entirety of the book the sixth graders write about Mrs. Rossi. Since Annie reads and rereads the tributes to her mother throughout the story, I thought it might have been a better idea to mix the two segments of the book together, so that the reader could see directly how Annie’s thoughts and actions are influenced by memories of her mother. It was still interesting to read this way, but it wasn’t especially cohesive, and I started losing interest towards the end.

This is an excellent book to recommend to kids who have lost their mom, and also a nice way to inspire kids to help friends or classmates who might be going through a similar loss. I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to read this first book in order to enjoy Letters to Leo, kids who like to know the whole story will definitely want to read both.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year a beloved and well respected colleague, Jennifer, died in a horrific car accident traveling home from her stepson’s wedding. Although badly injured her husband and two year old daughter Delaney survived. Jennifer approached life, especially motherhood with boundless energy and enthusiasm. Our last conversation was about a photograph Jennifer had of Delaney laughing uncontrollably as she careened down a corkscrew slide. Trips to Jennifer’s classroom, paperback books bearing her name, school photographs stir past memories for me. As does the book, Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest, that I read months after Jennifer’s death.


Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest is a poignant tale about eight year old Annie Rossi and her dad as they struggle to accept the sudden death of Annie’s mom, a popular sixth grade teacher, and create a life without her. At a school assembly, Mrs. Rossi’s class presents a book, describing each student’s special memory, to Mr. Rossi and Annie. This book becomes a lifeline for Annie as she attempts to navigate life without her mom, hold onto precious memories and forge a new life with her dad. Hest effectively conveys Annie and Mr. Rossi’s feelings through easy-to-read dialogue and the use of italics emphasizing emotions of anger, frustration, sorrow and joy. The anguish Annie and her dad contend with as they face family rituals and stumble across old photographs resonates authentically with the reader. Although the student memoirs, appended, appear a little too perfect, they contribute to the emotional tone of the story. I only hope that Delaney and her dad find solace in their memories of Jennifer and are as successful in building a new life as Annie and her dad. Students (grades 3-5) will appreciate this tale of loss and hope.

Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest
ISBN 978-0-7636-2163-6
hardcover, $14.99

[Kellee Moye · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Annie's mother, Mrs. Rossi a 5/6 grade teacher, dies suddenly, she finds herself and her father struggling to survive without her. On evening they are invited to a concert and assembly at her mother's school where her school presents a book to them dedicated to Mrs. Rossi and written by the students. Annie immediately finds refuge within the pages of the book. We then follow Annie's first year without her mother and how she struggles with the changes her life's changes and learning how to grow up without her mother.

I liked this book for a couple of different of reasons. First, I felt that the characters were quite real. My favorite was Annie's father- I really liked him. He is a funny, sweet character and is a great father. Most of the adults, including Annie's teacher and their friendly neighbor, in the book were really realistic and well done. Second, this book celebrates being education and reading. Both of Annie's parents are teachers and they often read. Many scenes within the book take place during school or in Annie's father's classroom. Annie also finds solace in a book throughout the novel, specifically the book that Mrs. Rossi's students wrote about her. Third, I really loved that the at the end of the book, the actual Remembering Mrs. Rossi book from her students is shared and Amy Hest did such a great job at creating a book filled with poetry and essays written as if students in 5/6 grade did so. Lastly, one of the most important things a book can do is make a child feel not alone and the death of a parent is one of the hardest things that a child will have happen to them- Remembering Mrs. Rossi combines these two things and would definitely help a child work through a loss in their life.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie and her mother and father live in New York. Mrs. Rossi is a sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Rossi is a Columbia University professor, and Annie is a 8 year old kid. The author and illustrator have just begun to show the Rossis and their sweet life on Riverside Drive with their fine apartment house across from the park when suddenly, Mrs. Rossi dies from pneumonia.

”’Mommy, come home now,’ Annie whispered, ‘and I’ll be your nurse, and we’ll watch TV on the couch and then you’ll be all better…’

The leaves in the park we’re especially gold that fall. Everyone spoke of the leaves. And the skies were especially blue. Everyone spoke of the bright blue skies…and nobody, absolutely nobody, expected Mrs. Rossi to die.”

This book wonderfully captures the sadness and tenderness of the unexpected loss of a loved one. The reader experiences Annie and her father grieving naturally; hurting and coping with the hole left in the absence of mother and wife. As a very loving gesture, Mrs. Rossi’s 6th graders make a book of stories, poems and drawings called Remembering Mrs. Rossi which they present to Annie. The scrapbook is created/replicated at the end of the chapter book.

Together the Cosmic Forces, the Hormonal Forces and Remembering Mrs. Rossi create a perfect storm for tears. I thought this book was so sweat and charming, but I cried the whole way through. Annie is a lovable and precocious child. She is open and frank about her hurt and grief. Her story can act as a gateway to sharing life’s tougher issues with an elementary-aged crowd.

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs. Rossi, a 6th-grade teacher, unexpectedly dies of pneumonia during the school year. Her students create a remembrance book, which turns out to be a wonderful gift for Mrs. Rossi's family. Mr. Rossi and Annie, a 3rd-grader, take great comfort in reading the stories and poems written by Mrs. Rossi's class as they attempt to adjust to life without their wife and mother.

There was just something about this book that bothered me. I think maybe it was that Annie seemed more like a 1st- or 2nd-grader, just a little immature and self-centered. Not that 3rd graders aren't immature and self-centered, heavens. They're all about immature and self-centered. I guess in my head I'm always comparing book characters to kids I see in my school every day, and Annie's behavior struck me as appropriate for a child younger than third grade. But it could just be me, and it could be that I'm comparing Annie to a character in another book I just finished, The Friskative Dog. Maybe if I hadn't read them in this order, Annie's attitudes and actions wouldn't have struck me as so immature.

The adults are all quite nicely portrayed. Mr. Rossi, neighbor Mrs. Peterman, and Annie's teacher, Miss Meadows, are all patient and loving with Annie.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

We hear many of the thoughts of Annie Rossi, a quite opinionated little girl in this sweet book. Thank goodness she finally shares her thoughts which are mostly about missing her mother, who has died suddenly during the previous year. Annie's feelings of sadness are often jumbled, and they come and go, which is normal, but it doesn't help the utterly sad feelings that show up-sometimes uninvited. For example, Annie, who lives in an NYC apartment, wakes up one morning to a lot of snow. The schools have declared a snow day and expects her father to immediately take her outside to play, then come back to homemade cookies. Father's feelings are evident also, & we sympathize with his loss, too. If you have any child in your life who has suffered such a loss, this is the book for him or her. I would think it would be very helpful to a child to read the book with someone, preferably a close relative. It's a sweet & poignant book, with a sequel, Letters to Leo, which I'm beginning now.

[Andrea Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

8 year old Annie 19s mother dies of pneumonia. On their own, Annie and her professor father are struggling to find ways to carry on without her. When they are invited to a special assembly at the school where her mother taught, Annie isn 19t sure that she can go into the school without her mother. In the end, Annie and her father are happy they went to the assembly since her mother 19s Grade 6 class has made a very special book for them 13 Remembering Mrs. Rossi.

Reading Remembering Mrs. Rossi and talking with her father helps Annie keep her mother close to her. While many things have changed, there are still some things that trigger happy memories of family times.

Annie is a spunky heroine who copes admirably with a terrible loss. Her efforts to get a dog, to stretch her boundaries and to keep her mother 19s memory alive will endear her to many readers. The text of the Grade 6 book is reproduced at the end of the story helping the reader get to know Mrs. Rossi as well. A gentle, caring read.

[Azizi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my two youngest daughters. I was a little skeptical because of the subject matter- Mrs. Rossi dies after being ill (presumably cancer). My girls are pretty sensitive about death and anything unpleasant in books (I had to return a book once because there were too many awful things). But surprisingly, they tolerated this book pretty well. It is written from the perspective of the daughter, as she describes her day to day life after her mother's passing. It is funny, touching, and informative. The lesson about life going on after death, and the importance of honoring your loved one is powerful. The writing is accessible, but it will also increase your child's vocabulary. After we finished the book, I asked my girls if they liked it, and they enthusiastically shouted yes. This is a big deal, because shouting with glee doesn't always happen when we finish a book. We're reading one right now that is a real snooze fest for them, but my commitment to finishing every book that I read won't allow me to put it down. Sigh...

[Lisa Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is from the point of view of the daughter of Mrs. Rossi. When a 6th grade class's teacher dies, they make a book about her and present it to Mrs. Rossi's husband and 8 year old daughter. This book is good to help children relate to the impact of death. It would also be helpful in dealing with feelings if someone close to them did die. I think it's especially helpful in this area because Mrs. Rossi's daughter goes through times that she's mad at her dad because he doesn't do things 'mommy's way'. In my own experience, (my mom passed away when I was in 6th grade)many of the feelings I had, I didn't share because I thought I was weird or that I shouldn't be thinking like that--come to find out after counseling as an adult, that all those feelings and things I thought were similar to what anyone who loses someone close to them thinks.

It was not as sad as I thought it might be. I didn't cry the whole time--just a few tears here and there.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender, episodic depiction of the first few months of Annie Rossi's life without her mom.

How a generally happy little girl deals with a great loss. She never stops missing her mom, wishing that she were still alive, thinking about telling her things and imagining her simply being alive again. Annie misses her for small things--she always remembered about boots, matched pajama tops and bottoms--and big events. Her dad is a real hero (we can see) sharing his loss in an honest but supportive way, not perfect in her eyes, but Annie comes to realize a bit more what he does do, and not just what he's lacking.

As an epilogue we also get to read what her students wrote about her, and from what they wrote, she was a thoughtful, challenging and dedicated teacher.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe that this was a really great book. It talks and deals with a death in the family so would be a great book to read in your classroom if someone just went through a death with a close family member. This story deals with loss and healing and sends a message of empathy, patience, and steady love. There are a bunch of different emotions in this book. It doesn't go into great depth of emotion which is perfect for a younger reader. A child who has experienced something like this recently will be able to find comfort within this book. Great book!

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! This book is so sweet. This little girl has all of the spunk of my favorites - Judy, Ruby, and Just Grace, but she's sensitive to boot! A delicate introduction into realistic fiction. Would be a great recommendation for a 7-10 year old who has lost someone they love. The funny parts outnumber the sad parts 2 to 1, so it's not too sad for this still-so-hopeful transitional set.