AVI, the popular author of historical fiction for middle-school and older children, takes readers back to the time when strong arms had to crank cars to get their motors to start. The place is a farming area where less than a dozen children from first to eighth grade learn together in a one room school. It's a time when it's a sacrifice for parents to allow their children to learn at school instead of helping at home with the farm work. When the teacher has to resign to care for her mother, the head of the school board decides to save money by closing the school even if it means the students will have to repeat their grades the next year and the two oldest won't be able to take their exams to qualify for high school. Ida has always wanted to be a teacher. The students agree to call her Miss Bidson and pretend everything is going on as usual. How will Ida keep up with her many chores, teach school and study for her exams? How will she manage the big boy who won't study or listen to her? Once she's been in charge of them, will the children still want to be Ida's friends when the school year is over? What will happen when her secret is discovered? Ida and her friends are interesting characters and you'll be fascinated by how much schools have changed in the past 100 years.