"Better call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!"

As a child book junkie, I pretty much read anything I could get my hands on. This lead to a lot of life-changing, mostly in the form of me reading profane adult novels at the tender age of 6. But on the innocent side, I remember receiving a book called Mrs. Piggle Wiggle from my first grade teacher, and it was the first real chapter book I'd ever really been given as a present. It contained many a magical story about this old woman named Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, who would take in problem children and cure them in genius ways. This book changed my life because:

• I became an expert on magical cures for problem children, and avoided these problems myself
• Began to believe more thoroughly in magic
• Went to the library to find more Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books
• Found other chapter books, read them all summer
• Won the summer reading competition and recieved a life sized poster of myself!

It was a momentous stretch that terrified and delighted my parents, and lead to chronic insomnia. But I owe all of my success as summer reading champ to that kind first grade teacher, who made me feel better than everyone else, and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, who taught me how to parent before I could even tie my own shoes (maybe).

Comments

[Nicholas]

I totally forgot about mrs. piggle wiggle. I also used to read that book when I was a kid, I also lost many a nights sleep over it. It was one of the first books I read, orrigally it was read to me by my mother.

[Sarah Pyle]

As my mother reads your blog post over my shoulder, she sighs nostalgically, "ohhhh I love Mrs. Piggle Wiggle....." Tragically, I have been informed that I hated Mrs. Piggle Wiggle when I was a child, but perhaps we can re-read them and I can get a new found appreciation for something you hold so dearly.