PAT HAWLY, PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER

Only loyalty to her brother Peter, held captive by Communists, and Betsy, her sister-in-law, as well as her own need for funds to further her college education, made Pat agree to Betsy's suggestion that they found a play school, Topsy Turvy, in the house Peter had designed. Once committed to the project, Pat knew she must forego many dates with glamorous but irresponsible Tony Brandt. Pat found she was faced with the wills and egos of her lilliputian charges, and the school's existence was the vortex of community conflict. The girls had to meet zoning restrictions and conform to the regulations of the State Inspector and cope with the daily exigencies of little boys who lock themselves in the bathroom. There are a few voids in verisimilitude. Would the tuition from ten pupils support two teachers? An important omission is the lack of stress placed on pupil development -- the most important non-financial reward. The book might well discourage incipient teachers -- but it is a very candid and accurate picture of the problems facing teachers. Pat is a believable heroine, who sees Tony through new eyes in comparison to responsible Eric, the elder brother of one of her charges.