SOLVED. Kids' book about a classroom where children are being disruptive and teacher quits. A new teacher arrives who has a foreign accent and red bushy hair [s]

[Carol]

Book is about a classroom where children are being disruptive and teacher quits. A new teacher arrives who has a foreign accent and red bushy hair. One particular trickster boy tries to get her to leave because they think she is a witch or vampire. Boys are more convinced when they see the teacher move into an old house and they see a large box as part of her belongings. They believe the big box either houses her dead husband or the teacher sleeps there at night. Two students sneak into the house at night to investigate. The new teacher wears a pendant and rubs it when the children start their tricks and the teacher is able to put a spell on the students to get them to behave. I believe this book is part of a series. I am interested in learning the name, author and book series name.

[Jill]

Miss Nelson Is Missing!

[Carol]

Thank you for responding, Jill, but "Miss Nelson is Missing" is not the book. I checked it out already. This book has a different ending in that Miss Nelson never returns and we are left wondering if the new teacher is really a witch or not. At any rate the children do not mess with her after she rubs the stone on her necklace and casts a spell on them. Hope I didn't say too much about the ending ... for there is more that is not indicated in this blog.

[Carol]

Jill ... correction. Neither the original teacher nor the new teacher is referred to as Miss Nelson (I believe this is correct).

[Jill]

Could it be part of the Bailey School Kids series? Such as Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots?

[Terri]

I think Jil is onto it - I remember reading that book when I was young and that sounds like it!

[Krista]

Kinda sounds like the first story in Sideways Stories from Wayside School, where Mrs. Gorf turns the kids into apples when they misbehave. I feel like the spell might involve rubbing her necklace and winking?

[Carol]

SOLVED Your girls are AWESOME. This is my first time using this post and I am SOOOOOO impressed. Not only did you find my book but I get to see what everybody else is reading. Thank you.
Carol

[Kate]

Which book is it -- Sideways Stories?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Reviews suggest this is Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots. Moving to Solved.