Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life

"Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life" by Myra Kelly, is a series of funny and touching stories focused on young students on the lower East Side. The stories show the everyday lives of children and their teacher, Constance Bailey, and how Bailey tries to bring values and structure to the often wild world of school. The book starts with Constance Bailey, a new teacher, trying to handle her very active class. When she tries to help two cousins, Eva and Sadie Gonorowsky, who are fighting, Miss Bailey finds herself dealing with funny and confusing situations. This part of the book shows how complicated childhood friendships and rivalries can be, highlighting the different students in the class and the teacher's strong commitment to her job, even when things get chaotic. This all leads to a lively picture of school life from the perspectives of both the children and their teacher.