Peck, Richard. The teacher's funeral

Peck, Richard. The teacher's funeral. Dial Books, 2004 [0-8037-2736-4]
It is 1904 in rural Indiana and the long-time school teacher for the local one room schoolhouse has died. Fifteen-year-old Russell is hoping the school will close but the school board appoints his older sister as teacher. Can she guide the varied group of eight students? Will she be able to keep the school running in the middle of vandalism, snakes in desks, and a fire in the outhouse? Once again Peck has painted a homey picture of rural America in the early 1900's. The 190 page book starts out slow but soon becomes a colorful and enjoyable read.