Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (1986)

Publisher's Summary

Samantha goes to Miss Crampton's Academy, a private school for proper young ladies, where everyone is buzzing about the upcoming speaking contest. Samantha is working hard to win the gold medal. But she has something else on her mind, too. She's worried about Nellie, the poor servant girl who has become her friend. She's trying to teach Nellie to read so the boys and girls at her school will stop calling her "dummy" and "ragbag." Samantha sets up a school in Grandmary's tower room and becomes Nellie's teacher. But Nellie teaches Samantha some very important lessons, too.

Kate's Breakdown

It's fall 1904, and Samantha is a student at Miss Crampton's Academy for Young Ladies, busy with the work of learning to be a young lady of the upper class. She is tasked with giving a speech on "Progress in America" and decides to talk about the efficiencies and wealth produced by factories.

At home, Samantha is given great news— Nellie is back! Grandmary arranged for the entire O'Malley family (Nellie's mother, father, and two little sisters) to be employed by a neighboring family. The O'Malley girls will even be allowed time to attend the local public school. Nellie is glad for the chance to return to school after many years working full-time, but she has a terrible experience at school. She's mocked by her classmates for being poor and scorned by the teachers for being so far behind. Samantha is outraged but turns her energy to solutions. With her own teacher's help and Grandmary's permission, she sets up a little schoolroom in the attic to tutor Nellie. It turns out that Nellie is very bright and catches up quickly. In particular, Nellie is quick with arithmetic, since she often helped stretch her family's grocery budget.

Samantha's speech is a great success at school. She and a few other students (including the insufferable Edith Eddleton) are chosen to give their speeches at a contest with other area schools. Samantha shares her speech with Nellie, but doesn't get the praise she expects. Nellie reluctantly tells Samantha about her experience actually working in a factory, where children were forced to work long hours in dangerous, miserable conditions.

Samantha is deeply affected by Nellie's story and rewrites her speech before the contest. Instead of celebrating the factories' efficiency, she cautions the audience that factories that can hurt children are not something to be proud of. Americans are good and want to take care of children, she says, and when they do so, then they can be proud of their progress. Everyone loves the speech, and Samantha wins first prize. Meanwhile, Nellie has moved up to grade level. Samantha is determined to keep going until she's the head of the class.

Cover Gallery

Editions & Revisions

Doll Collection

• Just about everything on the classic cover art was available in doll form: the ironwork school desk, Samantha's lunch, and an assortment of school supplies.
• Samantha's gray school dress is called a "Buster Brown dress," a popular style of children's suit named after a comic strip character. A matching ensemble was sold for girls.

Hear Kate's Full Breakdown

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