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Published on Apr 30, 2014 | 32 Pages
Wilson had just finished his first week of school and could not wait for the next one to begin. He was very fond of his new teacher, Miss Lovely. But something was wrong that day—very wrong. There were no school buses, the school itself was empty, and something strange was approaching. Undeterred and ever-hopeful that he would see Miss Lovely soon, Wilson went through his normal school day alone—he did his math lesson alone, his science lesson alone, sent himself to the principal’s office when he was naughty, and more, but still . . . something was approaching.
Stadler skillfully uses gatefold flaps to keep the suspense mounting until we find out just who—or what—was approaching.
Readers will love following Wilson and his day at school right out of a Twilight Zone episode in this funny, sweet, and sometimes scary story.
Author
John Stadler
Over the years, in my role as author-illustrator, I have visited what seems like zillions of schools (give or take 100,000). It is great fun for me! One of the questions I am most frequently asked is, “Where do you get your ideas?” The answer, more often than not, is that I get them from myself. This, of course, only works if I am actually on speaking terms with myself (which is rarely the case). Nonetheless, many of my stories are autobiographical. Let’s take, for example, Wilson and Miss Lovely: A Back-to-School Mystery.Wilson is a rabbit.So am I!Wilson is in love with his teacher, Miss Lovely.I was in love with my kindergarten teacher, Miss Broadhead!Wilson can’t wait for tomorrow so that he can get back to school and see Miss Lovely.I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come so that I could bring my pet worms (Fred and Ethel) to Show and Tell.On his way to school, Wilson notices that the streets are empty except for . . . a huge, mysterious, scary creature following him.On my way to school I, too, was followed by a huge, mysterious, scary creature . . . my big sister, Anne!Wilson is a good boy.I was . . . oh, never mind!Wilson’s day at school is filled with mystery.Miss Broadhead said I was a complete mystery to her!In the end, things work out beautifully for Wilson. Life is sweet, reassuring, and very Miss Lovely.As for me . . . I’m still working on the mystery!So you could say that the story of Wilson and Miss Lovely is a true story (if by true you mean mostly made up). I hope this gives you some insight into my creative process.My next autobiographical book will be called Wilson and the Scarlet Letter: How I Got My First A. I hope you enjoy it!
Learn More about John Stadler