The Year of Miss Agnes

By Kirkpatrick Hill

A young girl navigates her life in a small Alaskan village with the help of a new teacher.

5.8/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 7,182 ratings

128 pages· 18,799 words· Est. 2.5 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

In a remote Alaskan village, ten-year-old Fred doubts the new teacher, Miss Agnes, will last. Unlike others, Miss Agnes captivates her students with stories and unconventional lessons. As Fred and her classmates discover the joy of learning, they wonder if Miss Agnes will stay or vanish like those before her. Can this inspiring teacher change their lives for good, or is her presence just a fleeting moment in their challenging world?

"That was a good thing to think about, always learning something new. It wasn’t like you had to hurry up and learn everything right away before the learning time was over, it was like you could kind of relax and take your time and enjoy it."

— from the book

From the publisher

A year they’ll never forget Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn’t have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard. But Miss Agnes is different – she doesn’t get frustrated with her students, and she throws away old textbooks and reads Robin Hood instead! For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write – but will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came?

At a glance

Format
Pages: 128
Words: 18,799
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Juvenile Reader
Lexile: 790L

Themes & topics

Books about teachers Books about Alaska Books about school Books about culture Books about race and ethnicity

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Language

This book mentions an instance where Bokko, a deaf character, signs "bad things" when she got mad, but doesn't specify any further.

Alcohol

This book includes one instance where the main character says she likes to write magical stories, and includes one example of a story about "pills you could take to learn everything without even studying it."

Serious Subject Matter

This book contains repeated inclusions of the term "Indian" when talking about race and language. This book also includes one instance where the main character says she doesn't want to get married or have kids, mentioning that a husband "might get mean sometimes" or have another girlfriend.

After the last page

Talk about it together

Fred and the other children love Miss Agnes for helping them learn to read, write, dream, and more. Have you had a favorite teacher? Why were they your favorite?

When Miss Agnes showed the children her large map of the world, it made many of them dream of visiting other places. What is something you've learned about another place that you'd like to visit?

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.8

out of 7

5.8

“Fred's perspective in this story is beautifully written with the eyes of a child, and connects with the child in each of us. I love Miss Agnes for the joy and excitement she brings to learning!”

B is for Bookworm

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one