MISS MALARKEY DOESN'T LIVE IN ROOM 10

As the narrator knows (the rest of the world has been misinformed), teachers don't go home after school, but spend their lives sleeping in the classroom, roaming the corridors, and taking meals in the lunchroom. So the narrator is justifiably confused when Miss Malarkey moves into his apartment building. Newcomer Finchler never swerves from her basic premise that kids are always right. The boy's logic is sacrosanct: From the mystery of the Teachers' Lounge he extrapolates a room where naughty, pajama-clad teachers litter the floors and frolic on disheveled bunk beds. Older children may be too full of information to the contrary to enjoy the idea; for younger readers it should hit home. Occasionally Finchler changes her matter-of-fact tone and winks at readers, which breaks the spell. On the whole, though, the spare language and bright, expressive pictures make it a rewarding read. (Picture book. 4-6)