Emmy Lou

Joining a crowded primer class after an illness, Emmy Lou finds school full of baffling rules. Bells tell the children when to stand, numbers must be copied onto slates, and her classmates already understand lessons she struggles to follow. Aunt Cordelia trusts that she will catch up, while Miss Clara has seventy other pupils to manage. A boy's rubber band prank and his later gift of a pencil reveal how small classroom incidents can carry a great deal of feeling.

George Madden Martin's school novel follows the child's view of lessons, friendships, and adult authority. Later scenes bring demanding handwriting exercises, separation from her friend Hattie, and new companions with fashionable shoes and an amused interest in public school. Humor grows from the gap between a teacher's instructions and Emmy Lou's understanding. Readers interested in childhood and older classroom customs will find close attention to the embarrassment, kindness, and shifting loyalties of school life.