The Boo-Boos of Bluebell Elementary

K-Gr 2–Charlee sounds the alarm over an extremely loose tooth, Patrick suffers the attack of a splinter, Roxanne experiences a surprise nosebleed, and Gus requires a Band-Aid for a broken heart. Even Principal Pettycoat sheds a tear over a painful paper cut. The bell has not yet rung and Bluebell Elementary’s school nurse, Miss Peatree, is already up to her ears in visitors. With brown skin and gray hair, this school nurse is a cheerful and attentive caregiver for every patient amidst the hilarious chaos unfolding in her office, swiftly yanking the loose tooth, tweezing the splinter, stemming the flow of the bloody nose, and soothing the homesick heart. However, class is still in session and students continue stumbling into Miss P’s office with more maladies. Wallace’s lively, rhyming story is a riot, full of comedy and drama. Miss P’s day is long, as is this story, but humor will keep readers fully entertained from the morning bell to dismissal. Farrell’s expressive, comics-like watercolor and ink illustrations energetically convey the topsy-turvy atmosphere. Stylized fonts and speech bubbles are incorporated into the illustrations to colorfully voice the theatrical complaints of the students. On each spread, Miss Peatree’s growing visitor log chronicles patients cared for and the status of their ailments. This book is a unique addition to the school story genre for its original concept, as attention is not often given to the happenings of a school nurse’s office.