The hardest reviews to write, in my opinion, are the ones of books that are neither really bad or really good. The ones that you finish and think, well, that was a book. I had that experience with this book, by Amy Hess. It’s a very cute book. The illustrations are cute, and I think she captured an 8-year-old quite well. But, I’m not sure how many people will want to read it. It skews young — possibly 6 (read aloud) to 8 — and it’s a snapshot of how one little girl, Annie, deals with the sudden death of her mother. There’s not much of a plot; it begins right after the mother’s death, and shows glimpses of Professor Rossi and Annie at specific moments in time: a snow day, her father’s birthday, and summertime; times when Mrs. Rossi would be most missed. They are sweet glimpses, but, overall, they are not very interesting.

The last third of the book was a “reprint” of the book Mrs. Rossi’s sixth grade class made for Professor Rossi and Annie. Again, it’s sweet, but there’s not much else. I liked some of the stories and poems, and thought they rounded out Mrs. Rossi, but since she really wasn’t a character — more of a presence — I thought they didn’t add much to the book.

I know I was expecting too much from this book — a plot, or some sort of story arc, for instance — and that maybe some child who has recently lost a parent could find comfort in this book. I don’t want to take away from the healing process that this book could help. For them, it’s worth reading. But for the rest of us, maybe not so much.