Title: The Year of Miss Agnes
Author: Kirkpatrick Hill
Major Themes: Alaska, Teachers, Literacy, School
Synopsis: Most teachers in Fred’s remote Alaskan village didn’t last long, but Miss Agnes transformed the village’s children.
I have loved The Year of Miss Agnes ever since we read it for the first time, close to 20 years ago. This is one of those books I likely never would have even heard of without the Sonlight Curriculum, but it’s a real gem. I fall in love with it again every time I read it to a new child or group of children.
Fred, short for Frederika, is the narrator of this book. She is around 10 years old, and has had a lot of different teachers in her remote Alaskan village. Now, a new one has come, and the children figure she’ll be just the same as all the others, not understanding them, not liking their fishy smell, and not lasting long. What a surprise when Miss Agnes begins by packing away all the old school books that they can’t understand and bringing out art supplies and maps!
Miss Agnes loves the children. In return, they love her. She opens up the world to them and makes the outside world interesting. She inspires them to believe they can learn, and they do. She even finds ways for Fred’s deaf sister Bokko to learn. What a sad day it is when she has to leave.
The Year of Miss Agnes is a beautiful story about the power of love and what happens when an adult believes in the potential of children. I love the setting, too. Even though it is in a grimy, impoverished village in northern Alaska, what is described is the beauty of the area and the love, the community spirit, of the villagers. And Miss Agnes pulled them together even more. Don’t miss reading this book together as a family. It’s one every family should have on the shelf and read together several times.
No warnings!
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12
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