IT HAPPENED AT SCHOOL

In the first of two short stories about school life in France, Claudette, an aspiring cellist, brings in an autograph of her hero, a famous cello player. In response, Mademoiselle Dupont, her inspired and inspiring teacher, has all the children bring in (faux) autographs of their heroes, as a prism through which to see history. It’s a sweet story that’s both gently humorous and lightly touching. The second story, which the reader knows is supposed to be lighthearted and adorable, is instead troubling. In a bow to modernity, a tiny two-classroom school in France gets a phone and a fax machine that is set up in the principal/teacher’s classroom. Her boyfriend immediately begins calling and faxing, declaring his love vociferously throughout the school day and the days that follow, annoying the teacher and distracting the students. Although it ends happily for the teacher (after a brief breakup she decides to marry her boyfriend), to American eyes, he comes off like a slightly crazed stalker rather than a charming and benign lover. (Short stories. 9-12)