Terrific Terupt

Several months ago, I did a piece on how Rob Buyea's interview on the school blog affected the lives of my students. He's a wonderful  teacher, author, and all round great guy. 

I light of his awesomesaucidness, I thought I'd finally write a review. 




Here's the synopsis:

Teachers come in all varieties. Some are funny. Some are strict. Some are downright mean. But Mr. Terupt is like no other teacher the fifth graders of Snow Hill Elementary had ever known. The story starts when Jessica, the new girl, finds herself in a class with a bully, a class prankster, a brain, an outcast, and a kid who hates school. However, Mr. Terupt has a knack for dealing with them all, until one careless act changes everyone’s lives … forever.

I absolutely loved the book Because of Mr. Terupt. Rob Buyea allows each character to tell their story from their perspective, giving us insight into why the characters are the way they are. For example, Alexia, the bully, has a mean streak a mile wide, but because we get to see events from her point of view, we see her insecurity. We see her need to be accepted by others, and her fear that no one likes her. Too, I appreciate the way Buyea shows what a good teacher is meant to be. So often in children’s books, teachers are portrayed as mean or ignorant, but Mr. Terupt is a teacher everyone would want.  I love that Buyea has created a character that allows his students to have fun while learning.

 This is a great book for everyone, teachers and students alike! I highly recommend Because of Mr. Terupt, and I look forward to reading the sequel.