MRS. PELOKI'S SUBSTITUTE

A realistic rendition of a day in second grade, when elderly-looking Mrs. Peloki goes home with a cold and is replaced by young, apparently inexperienced but fairly resourceful Mrs. Whitey. Rambunctious, full of arguments, bickers, and minor misinformation for the teacher's benefit, the class manages--by spending enough time going for drinks of water and arguing about whether Mrs. Peloki lets them erase on spelling tests or whether Marlon normally acts like this--not only to postpone their spelling test, but also to forgo their coveted show and tell for lack of time. Mrs. Whitey survives, barely: she doesn't quite lose control, although her sense of humor is in jeopardy. Still, she does manage to have the last word: ""I've seen your show. . .and I'm going to have to tell Mrs. Peloki to give you this test tomorrow."" Illustrated in appropriately realistic pencil and watercolor, this slice of life in the primary grades has enough humor and verisimilitude to entertain children of similar age, either in groups or reading on their own. Adults will have to decide whether it's worth suggesting even more dodges at a substitute's expense than the little dears can devise on their own.