Emma Dilemma and the Two Nannies - Softcover

Author Patricia Hermes has lots of ideas for Emma’s dilemmas after raising five children of her own. She lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, and is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences around the country.

Illustrator Abby Carter has drawn all of her life. When she was eleven, she and her grandmother had a card business: Abby drew, and her grandmother sold. In college she studied art, but also liked science and nutrition, and wished there was a way to combine it all. Several years later, after she was married and had a daughter, she and her husband founded Fresh Samantha, the juice company, which fulfilled that dream. In addition to her graphics for Fresh Samantha, she has illustrated many picture books and chapter books for children. She says that she loves to draw odd characters, and hates to draw straight lines. Abby lives with her husband and two children in Connecticut.

The sequel to Emma Dilemma and the New Nanny (2006) opens with a proposed vacation for the O'Fallon family's beloved nanny. The prospect of three weeks without Annie sends the five children, particularly third-grader Emma, into a tizzy. She thinks that her parents will prefer the substitute and replace Annie, which is not too far-fetched given their hiring-and-firing track record. Bringing to mind an older Junie B. Jones, Hermes' headstrong but sympathetic heroine learns from her mistakes, which are not insignificant: Emma takes a book from her rival without asking and tells a whopper in hopes of preventing Annie's holiday. Guided by supportive adults and her own developing morality, Emma recognizes her missteps and makes amends. Throughout, the adults are appealing—flawed yet believable—and many readers will see their own chaotic but loving families in the large, busy O'Fallon household, complete with pet ferret and dog. Nolan, Abby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved