Sarah Jane Hartwell and her class are back. After the stress of her last attempt at taking her class on a field trip (seen in First Year Letters), Mrs. Hartwell has a plan for an upcoming trip to the zoo—a plan that includes a lot of rules. Her students prove that they can line up straight, walk quietly, and take plenty of notes, but everyone soon realizes that this field trip isn’t as much fun as they’d hoped. Mrs. Hartwell rethinks her plan and saves the day.
Mrs. Hartwell and her second graders are back and are off to the zoo. Hoping to avoid the fiasco of their last trip to a natural history museum, the teacher is super-prepared—ultra-prepared—for this one. She has done her research and has nine foolproof tips for a great outing. Each and every rule comes in handy—“#3 Be prepared for delays. Food works,” “#6 Bring lots of paper towels and an extra tee shirt,” “#7 No matter what happens stay calm!”—with comical results. Kids will love seeing a parrot poop on Eddie (Rule #7 is invoked here). But Mrs. Hartwell also knows when to relax the rules a little (“#1 Give students a job to keep them focused and learning…and out of trouble!”) and let the kids have a good time. Love’s illustrations perfectly capture the children’s expressions, actions, and abilities. There is plenty to see on each page, and readers will want a close look. Like the previous installments, this one is chock-full of humor and truth. Both teachers and their students will find it easy to relate to the characters and situations. Good pre–class trip or anytime reading.
-School Library Journal