Meet Ella: New Teacher by Rebecca McRitchie and Danielle McDonald

Ella and her best friend Zoe have started school and Ella enjoys having Miss King as her teacher. All is going well until Miss King announces that she is going on holidays for a while and will be replaced by Mrs Shoe.

Mrs Shoe does things differently and can’t even get Ella’s name right. Ella is very unhappy with the changes but is comforted by her mother who asks Ella to give Mrs Shoe a chance.

This small novel deals with the excitement and anxieties of starting school and the impact of change on younger students.

Ella enjoys being with her friend, reading and ballet, but she worries about her teacher being replaced. These are problems that other young students will be able to relate to. Ella is encouraged by her mother to work out her issues and be more open to accept the new replacement teacher.

This book is the second in the series and is “from the world of Ella and Olivia” stories which are extremely popular with the younger students in my school. The first book in the series is Spotty Puppy.

An appealing cover, large font, lots of illustrations by Danielle McDonald and short chapters will make this book attractive to newly independent readers.

I recommend this book for 4–7-year-olds.

Themes: Teachers, School.

Jane Moore