by Ozzie Tollefson (Author)

Mr. Teacher is the fictional story of a young, one-room country school teacher. Set in northern Minnesota during the last year of World War II, Ernie Juvland goes through a hellish first year, but discovers that he has a natural talent for teaching. He boards with a farm family and soon develops a close bond with Carla Henning, the 39-year-old farmer's wife. Carla is a strong woman who helps Ernie stay afloat, as he faces a series of crises, exacerbated by early manifestations of mental illness. Readers will discover how children, like Carla's young son, Dale, learned in one-room schools and meet poor rural families living under the constant strain of war. This novel is recommended for adult readers.

Author Biography

Ozzie Tollefson attended a one-room country school from first through eighth grade. He was raised on an 80-acre farm in northern Minnesota by his Norwegian mother, who saw five of her sons go off to war. Mr. Teacher, though a work of fiction, draws heavily on Ozzie's experiences growing up during World War II. Ozzie is retired after 48 years in education, 15 as a classroom teacher in New Jersey, and 33 years as a touring assembly program performer. Using his background in teaching and theater, he produced and performed educational programs on a number of subjects, including dinosaurs, whales, and Native Americans. He has given over 6,000 performances in 1,500 schools in 17 states. There are over one million people who have seen Ozzie's programs.

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