Sincerely yours,
Sofia
The maddest I ever saw Mrs. Rossi was when some of the kids in the class — okay, most of the kids in the class — were mean to Mrs. Lester. That’s the lady who works in the cafeteria and I never even knew her name was Mrs. Lester until that day. I always just called her the cafeteria lady.
This is what happened. It was macaroni-and-cheese day and they started this game. See, everyone at our table had to say something bad about the macaroni and cheese. I know it sounds stupid, but if you didn’t do it, they might say something bad about you. Then Mrs. Rossi is standing there and she makes us go back to the classroom NO RECESS AND NO TALKING. Not even a word. You have to sit around and think about Mrs. Lester’s FEELINGS. And think up a way to make Mrs. Lester feel APPRECIATED.
A lot of the kids wrote a letter of appreciation to Mrs. Lester.
Some kids including me made a picture of appreciation for Mrs. Lester.
Some kids wrote a poem and Julie made a paper bracelet.
Mrs. Rossi made an invitation and we all signed the invitation that said: Please come to our class tomorrow at 12:30.
Tomorrow at 12:30 this is what happened. MRS. ROSSI MADE LUNCH FOR MRS. LESTER! She even put it on a silver platter and Mrs. Lester even got to sit in Mrs. Rossi’s chair! We read our letters and poems and Sofia danced. Peter even played the trombone and Benny and Alex sang a really crazy song and everyone was laughing, even Benny and Alex. It was fun and Mrs. Lester felt appreciated.
Not to brag but I’m a good (great!!) baseball player, just like Jackie Robinson. My specialty is pitching. My other specialty is hitting. I’m still not bragging but I ALWAYS get a hit. Except for that day. That Bad-Luck Saturday. Because guess who shows up in the park when I am playing baseball? Mrs. Rossi. Oh, brother. So now my teacher is watching and all I keep thinking is MY TEACHER IS WATCHING . . . MY TEACHER IS WATCHING. . . . Goodbye concentration. I strike out and strike out and strike out, and as you can see, it is all HER fault. (Mrs. Rossi’s). After the game she shakes my hand. “Even Jackie Robinson didn’t get a hit every time, Joe.”
I wish Mrs. Rossi didn’t die so she could watch me play baseball again. I would hit a home run, definitely.
Hi! My name is Louise! I’m in Mrs. Rossi’s class. I have brown hair. Brown eyes. Next fall I’m getting braces if my mom gets big tips at the diner! I have seen your pictures on Mrs. Rossi’s desk. I like the seesaw picture best. You are cute!
Very truly yours,
Louise
P.S. I wish you could be my little sister. We could share my room.
This year for my Christmas tree I’m making a beautiful gold star for the top of my tree in honor of Mrs. Rossi. Whenever I look at my star, I will say a special prayer for Mrs. Rossi. The End.
I wish Mrs. Rossi would just
Show up
Come by
Hang out
Hang up her coat
Squeak chalk on the board
And yell, Pay attention, Sal
Wait a second, Mrs. Rossi
(I just wrote a poem)
Are you ready to hear the weirdest story in the world? Are you really and truly ready? Okay. Here goes nothing.
ONCE I SAW MRS. ROSSI RIDING A BIKE TO SCHOOL!
It was the oldest bike you’ve ever seen and she locked it to a Stop Sign in front of our school.
“Hey, Mrs. Rossi!” I said. “That sure is an old bike!”
I was trying to be funny but I think I hurt her feelings. I wish I didn’t hurt her feelings that time.
What You Need: 1 picture of Matthew; 1 envelope; 1 balloon on a string; strong tape; a lot of stamps
Directions:
1. Put picture of Matthew in envelope.
2. Print on envelope
TO: MRS. ROSSI
ADDRESS: HEAVEN
3. Put a lot of stamps on envelope.
4. Blow up balloon.
5. Go to Central Park. (Go ONLY on a windy day — **important**.)
6. Attach envelope to balloon with tape.
7. Count to 3. (Count SLOWLY, eyes CLOSED — **important **.)
8. Let go of balloon. Open eyes. Watch balloon.
9. Keep watching balloon for a long time.
Scientific Questions:
Did the balloon get all the way to Heaven?
Did Mrs. Rossi smile when she saw the picture of Matthew?
What We Learned from Science Experiment: You can’t see the balloon anymore and you can’t see Mrs. Rossi, but you can remember them.
My name is Drew. I live at 440 Riverside Drive. I live in apartment 1A. That’s the super’s house and my father is the super. He’s like the boss of 440 and sometimes I help him fix all the stuff that breaks such as stoves and sinks and doorknobs. Snowy days we shovel the sidewalk so the old people don’t fall in the snow. I love when it snows and snows and snows and they have to close school and I get to watch TV and play with my puppy all day.
Okay, this is a very big secret. I know where Mrs. Rossi lives. In my building. I couldn’t believe my bad luck when I saw the 10B lady in my classroom the first day of school. I never even knew she was a teacher. She was just that lady in 10B and her little kid was always riding her bike in the lobby. Nightmare, nightmare! What if I see my teacher in the laundry room doing laundry! Nightmare, nightmare! What if she comes to my house and tells my parents all the things I do wrong in school! Nightmare, nightmare! What if the kids in my class find out . . . and everyone calls me teacher’s pet! I kept waiting for Mrs. Rossi to tell the secret. She never told. Which was nice of Mrs. Rossi.
Yesterday after school I took the elevator to the tenth floor and looked at the door that said 10B. I was sad because that lady doesn’t live there anymore.
If you tell me one more time
Write a few words about Mrs. Rossi
I will scream
Or
I might report you
To my
Tall
Father
(He always takes my side)
Or
I might say
Fine, Mr. Shaw, here you are, Mr. Sub
And here come the words
MRS. ROSSI HAD A RED DRESS
If you tell me one more time
Write a bit more, Julie
I will
Scream
Or
I might say
Fine, Mr. Shaw, here you are, Mr. Sub
And here come the words
MRS. ROSSI HAD A RED DRESS
MY MOTHER HAD A RED DRESS
MY MOTHER LEFT HER RED DRESS
IN THE CLOSET AND LEFT
And by the way, Mr. Shaw, by the way,
Mr. Sub . . .
ALL RED DRESSES MAKE ME SAD
Pay attention
No talking!
Neat homework
No pushing!
Notebooks out
No slouching!
Spelling counts
No running!
Math test
No cheating!
Pencils down
No groaning!
Raise hands
No whining!
Pay attention
I love this class
We love you, too, Mrs. Rossi!
Text copyright © 2007 by Amy Hest
Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Heather Maione
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
First electronic edition 2014
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Hest, Amy
Remembering Mrs. Rossi / Amy Hest ; illustrated by Heather Maione. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Although she loves her father, their home in New York City, and third-grade teacher Miss
Meadows, Annie misses her mother who died recently.
ISBN 978-0-7636-2163-6 (hardcover)
[1. Death — Fiction. 2. Parent and child — Fiction. 3. New York (N.Y.) — Fiction.]
I. Maione, Heather Harms, ill. II. Title.
PZ7.H4375Re 2007
[Fic] — dc22 2006041649
ISBN 978-0-7636-4089-7 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-7636-7090-0 (electronic)
Candlewick Press
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Somerville, Massachusetts 02144
visit us at www.candlewick.com
Remembering Mrs. Rossi (9780763670900) Page 7