The students in Rosaleigh Johnson’s second-grade class have learned many valuable things this year – one of which is how to get things done.
Through their newly learned power of persuasion skills, the kids were able to convince actress Melissa Gilbert, best known for her role as Laura Ingalls in the “Little House on the Prairie” TV series, to visit their classroom.
According to Johnson, her students have been reading the Little House on the Prairie book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder throughout the year.
“One Friday, I showed them the introductory episode, and they loved it,” said Johnson. “They really got into it. When Laura’s dog Jack died, there were some tears, and when Mary (Laura’s sister on the show) went blind.”
One day, Johnson told her class, “You know, Ms. Gilbert lives in Howell now. That’s not too far from here.”
Gilbert and her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, moved to Howell in July of 2013. He is a native of the Lansing area.
During the months of January and February, the second-graders were working on a persuasive writing unit. One student wanted to write a letter to Gilbert, inviting her to the class. Several more students were onboard with that and decided they would write letters, too.
With the assistance of an organization in Howell, the letters were delivered to Gilbert. All of the children put the school’s phone number in their letters.
“After spring break, I got a phone call,” said Johnson. “It was Ms. Gilbert who said she received a very persuasive package from my class.”
Johnson and Gilbert made the arrangements, and Gilbert spent an hour and a half in her classroom on May 5. Because it was Cinco de Mayo, Gilbert even brought the kids some of her homemade guacamole.
The children asked Gilbert many questions, such as, what did she learn about the past from her experience on Little House on the Prairie? They also wanted to know if she became friends with Nellie Oleson, a rather “not nice” character on the show whose parents owned the mercantile.
Gilbert said she did become friends with Nellie (played by actress Alison Arngrim). She told the class a funny story about an episode where she and Nellie were supposed to knock each other over into the mud. Gilbert said she grabbed a handful of cow manure and shoved it into Nellie’s face.
“The kids thought that was so funny,” Johnson said.
Following their question and answer period, Gilbert read the students her new children’s book, “Daisy and Josephine,” published in 2014 by Simon & Schuster.
“She read it with so much expression,” said Johnson. “Josephine is a French bulldog who spoke French. So when she read Josephine’s words she did it in a French accent.”
Gilbert told the class the book is loosely based on her own childhood. After reading her book, Gilbert gave the teacher and each of the 26 students in her class an autographed copy of “Daisy and Josephine.”
Gilbert encouraged the students to continue writing and told them they can write any story they want.
“Since her visit, my class has been story writing machines,” said Johnson.
Because of their experience of reading the Little House Books and watching the Little House on the Prairie TV series, Johnson said she has learned that many of the children have asked Santa and the Tooth Fairy for the TV Series DVDs and the book series sets.
“Their next goal is to write and convince Nellie Oleson to come to the classroom,” said Johnson.
Daisy and Josephine
Daisy and Josephine, written by actor and New York Times bestselling author Melissa Gilbert, tells the story of a little girl named Daisy who often travels with her father for his job. She is very shy and gets lonely on these trips, so her father surprises her with an endearingly peculiar puppy named Josephine. It is described as a charming story of unlikely friendship. Daisy and Josephine is intended to delight children, parents, and dog lovers of all ages.
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