Remembering Mrs. Rossi Book

After her mother dies, eight-year-old Annie Rossi does her best to cope, assisted by Remembering Mrs. Rossi, a book of memories compiled by her mother's sixth-grade students. During the difficult year that follows, her dad forgets to buy her brand of cereal, doesn't remind her to wear her boots, mismatches her pajamas, and doesn't understand that they should be the first to make footprints in the snow. Annie's patterns of belonging have been disrupted, but as she and her father search for ways to "keep Mommy close...and let her go...and keep her close again," they take comfort from the sixth graders' book, share memories with one another, and begin to forge new rituals. Hest avoids delving into grief, focusing instead on Annie's frustrations with changes at home, at school, and in their summer beach community. Maione's soft pencil drawings capture the child's emotions. Readers will recognize their own feelings of frustration and confusion in the protagonist and admire her attempts to convince her father to get a dog. The book by Mrs. Rossi's students is reproduced at the end of the story. Although some of the entries seem naive for sixth graders, this feature gives readers an opportunity to share their memories of their teacher. This gentle story that captures one third grader's year reinforces the power of journaling in navigating through life's changes.Read More