Obedient Posey worries about the Consequences Drawer, the place where Ms. Lee sequesters all the toys and other tchotchkes that kids love to bring to school.
After three warnings, Ms. Lee calmly takes the watch, toy or lip gloss and returns it at a later time. But when Posey brings in Poinky, a new and adorable pig finger puppet, an unusually grumpy Ms. Lee warns her to put the toy away. After Poinky falls out of her pocket by accident, Ms. Lee confiscates the pink porcine pet, telling her Poinky will not be returned till Friday, a much longer incarceration than other items have received. Posey confesses her crime to her mother and makes a plan to speak to Ms. Lee. What follows is an awkward, emotionally real conversation that will be an inspiration to any student who feels wronged by a teacher. Ms. Lee responds with love and empathy, even admitting that her own bad headache played a role in the bad day for all. Greene continues to place sympathetic characters in familiar situations conveyed in short, breezy chapters—the ideal recipe for a series for newly independent readers or for a quick classroom read-aloud. Gentle black-and-white illustrations capably complement the story, adding another emotional level.
New readers, especially girls, will be happy to see that another Posey book is in the works. (Fiction. 5-8)
