https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Keepers_Maxwell_Jr.
As you can read on the Wikipedia, William Maxwell wasn't a typical celebrity with a lot of entries on Google. We know he was a fine scholar, editor and writer. There are no adaptations of his books for the cinema, so he's not a "celebrity" in the current sense. But the most important things for a writer are his writings, so let's read his short story and enjoy it.
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU WITH THE READING
What was she like and what did she look like?
How do you know she was a good teacher?
What mischief by the pupils did the text mention?
What present did the pupils give her for her birthday?
How did they celebrate it?
Why didn't she come to school one day?
Who was the substitute?
How did the pupils behave with the new teacher?
What did Miss Brown home look like?
What is the meaning of "She belonged to the illness"?
And what does it mean: "The angel who watches over little boys (who know, but they can't say it) saw to it that we didn't touch anything"?
How did the boy find Miss Brown tomb?
TOPICS TO DEVELOP
What were your school days like? Anecdotes, mates, teachers, subjects...
VOCABULARY
< oval Palmer method
call the roll = read out the list of pupils to see if they are in class
snicker = laugh silently
< aster = kind of flower
worm out = discover
< sweet pea = another kind of flower
Happy Returns = Happy Birthday
crane one's neck = try to see a thing, e.g. far away or over a fence
weather-beaten = spent much time in the open air, very cold or very hot
dim = not clear
cinder road = lava gravel road
faucet (USA English) = tap (British English)