By Gordon Korman
4RBooks: 5/6, grades 5-8
Amazon rating: 4.7/5, grades 3-7
Good Reads: 4.25/5
Common Sense Media: 5/5, ages 8+
297 pages
Synopsis:
A new teacher has come to Brightling Middle School and in no time has become the most popular teacher in the school. He can do everything, knows everything (including obscure rap lyrics), and cannot be outwitted by the school prankster, Oliver. He is a little strange though. He stands stiff as a board when he’s not moving. He never smiles and seems to have no sense of humor. He always calls the students, “pupils.” And, with no back ground in the sport, he becomes the girls field hockey coach and has them playing like champions.
Oliver and his best friend Nathan start to become suspicious. No teacher can be that perfect. They were also curious about his student teacher who seemed to be twice his age and always carried a briefcase of tools. Eventually they discovered the truth about their teacher. A truth that would enrage the parents, confuse the students, and bring the school together in a way that no one would have ever thought possible.
Parental Guidance: low-medium
Some low-level name calling between boys.
One junior high boy is always looking for the next prank to play on
someone or the school.
One of the pranks goes wrong and a school trophy is destroyed.
Recommendation:
Though there were a few plot points that were bothersome to me (students trying to cause havoc in the school, teachers jealous of the new teacher and taking advantage of him, government agencies involved in experimental test cases) I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was anxious to finish and come to the conclusion. It’s far-fetched but believable at the same time. The characters are likeable, even with their obvious flaws, and representative of middle school students. The story moves along at a brisk pace and holds your interest from beginning to end. Each chapter is told from the first-person perspective of one of the main characters.
While set in a middle school, I think upper elementary students would find this an enjoyable read. This would also be a good read for teachers with their classes or reading groups and could be the starting point for good discussions about fitting in, making assumptions and judgements, and working together for a common goal.
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