copyright Sandra Crook
The Rust Queen
My favorite teacher was Miss Ferrous, but we just called her Rusty. She had a tattoo that said “Rust Queen” on her arm.
We once took a class trip to the junkyard. We shot rats with a shotgun and Rusty showed us how thermite could burn through an engine block. We collected all the cool-looking scraps and dragged them back to school, where Rusty showed us how to weld. I made a scrap-racer and named it The Rust Queen, after her.
Even today, it sits on my porch, a tribute to the best kindergarten teacher a boy could ever have.
The Green-Walled Tower 