Brand, Christianna and Ardizzone, Edward. Nurse Matilda. New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2005.
Plot: The Brown children are incredibly naughty! After driving away every nanny, governess, and nursery maid in town, the Browns find themselves desperate for any solution. Nurse Matilda, a mysterious, hideous nanny, is the solution. While she has strict conditions for her work, she gains the results the Browns hoped for. With a bang of her black walking stick, the children find themselves launched into unreal situations caused by their own misbehavior. Yet, as they learn how their actions affect others, the children learn to be good, which has a surprising effect on Nurse Matilda.
Genre: Nannies, Children, Fantasy, Tweens
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Similar Titles: 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore, How Not to Babysit Your Brother, Mary Poppins
Personal Thoughts: The book combines surreal naughtiness with startling sorcery to get an expected but still surprising resolution. Through Nurse Matilda's lessons, the children do learn to behave. Yet the path to the change remains unexpectedly entertaining.
The book also provided the basis for the 2005 film Nanny McPhee, which received favorable reviews and led to a sequel in 2010.
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