Hi everyone, this week’s post focuses on a couple of tween series written by acclaimed Rob Buyea. If you were after tween reads about some amazing and inspirational teachers, then this is the week for you!!
Before I begin with this post about Buyea’s most popular books, I need to explain a bit about the impact teachers from middle school have on a child’s life. Research has shown that those years between 10 to 13 years of age, particularly when puberty hits, are crucial ones for cognitive development in tweens. From this premise, I have come to understand that the teachers one has during those years play a vital role in building the foundation of a child’s character, personality and attitude along with their education. The teachers central to these two series created by Buyea are individuals who, for me, do more than just teach them. Check out the reviews below for more about these books!!
The Terupt series begins with Because of Mr Terupt (Yearling, 2011) in the fifth grade where we are introduced to the main characters at Snow Hill School. There’s Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, the class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school. Only Mr. Terupt, their new teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much… until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything – and everyone. Told in the seven distinct voices of these amazing kids, this lovely middle-grade read begins the Terupt series. Rob Buyea slowly reveals each character over the school year and we learn of that particular accident that changes their lives. What really captivated me from the beginning was how we got to see each of the kids’ distinct personalities develop over the course of the year.
The second companion read Mr Terupt falls again (Delacorte Press, 2012) returns to Snow Hill School and to the gang. It’s their last year in elementary school and they’ve been granted the rare opportunity to spend one more year with their beloved teacher, Mr. Terupt, before they graduate. This time around, everyone gets along, more or less, but there are lots of personal challenges ahead. Although the seven kids are slightly older, the trouble they get into changes drastically, for some, even life-changing. What I really enjoyed, aside from all the school dramas, were their home lives. We get to learn about the parents and grandparents in this instalment, and hear of their struggles with the kids and other relationship battles. Also, as they are older, the dynamics of the group changes slightly. Crushes and budding romances can be felt expertly twisted into the individual stories.
In the next title, Saving Mr Terupt (Delacorte Press, 2015), the gang has started junior high school. There’s a lot to be excited about, but there are new challenges, too. Peter and Jeffrey face tough competition on their wrestling team. Alexia has a disastrous first day at school, and that’s only the beginning. Danielle isn’t feeling so well, but she’s trying to tough it out, like Grandma. Trouble with a bully makes Luke dread going to school for the first time ever. Everyone is missing Mr. Terupt. When a fight threatens to break up the group forever, they think their favourite teacher is the only one who can help them. But the kids soon find out that it’s Mr. Terupt who needs saving. This next awesome read had me captivated yet again. It just showed you how a great teacher can impact your life and values and pave the way to the person you become.
The last read in this delightful series Goodbye, Mr Terupt (Delacorte Press; 2020) was one that I finished recently. This year at junior high, Mr. Terupt is the kids’ biweekly adviser. Jeffrey, Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Luke, Jessica, and Peter are thrilled and grateful to have his advice. Plenty is going on for each of the kids, and there’s no one like Mr. Terupt! Then comes the announcement that Mr. Terupt is moving away at the end of the school year. Though they are stunned and sad, the kids are determined to make the year special and memorable. This fourth book in the Mr Terupt series shares the meaning of friendship, the importance of family, and the many ways we choose to show gratitude for the ones we love. I loved how Rob Buyea ended his amazing Mr. Terupt series. I cried, laughed, and cheered on the boys at their wrestling matches!! Facing some serious challenges and blossoming romances, the kids’ persevere, leaning on each other, and endure their hardest year yet. An awesome ending to an amazing set of stories!!
The next series by Rob Buyea is about two teachers, Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta.
The Perfect Score (Delacorte Press; 2017) starts with the kids in Mrs. Woods’s sixth-grade class at Lake View Middle School. They are all dreading the state-wide assessment tests. No-nonsense Mrs. Woods thinks the preparation is a bit over-the-top, as does Mrs. Magenta, the free-spirited math and science teacher. Even the kids know it shouldn’t be about the score, but when one of them has a big idea for acing the tests, they’re all in. no one can imagine what the results will set in motion. In this full-of-heart story with unforgettable characters, kids and adults learn that compassion, caring and kindness are all part of achieving the perfect score. Told in Buyea’s signature style with the voices of five quirky and distinct students from Mrs. Woods’ class. This story takes us to Lake View Middle School and through a very challenging period in their lives. Just like his previous Mr. Terupt series, readers can enjoy the school dramas that unfold in middle school when those pesky assessment tests are around the corner!!
The next in this series, The Perfect Secret (Delacorte Press; 2018), has so many surprises in store for you. Sixth-grade at Lake View Middle School ended with a big surprise: the students learned that two of their teachers, Mrs Woods and Mrs Magenta, are related. Now the class is on a mission to find out why the two don’t speak to each other, and to fix the problem. All too soon, the kids discover that their teachers aren’t the only adults hiding something. Then everyone’s secrets start tumbling out. Only by banding together will they be able to face the challenges that come hurtling their way. As is the case with Rob Buyea’s stories, this one packed a punch. Friendships strengthen and some even become romances. Families are brought under immense pressure and have to face insurmountable odds but justice and loyalty prevail.
The last in this series/trilogy The Perfect Star (Delacorte Press, 2019) and our group is in their final and eighth year of LakeView Middle School. On a week-long nature trip, on one of the nest nights for Gavin, Natalie, Trevor, Randi and Scott is when they are gazing up at the twinkling stars against the night-time sky – they get the sense that everything they wish for is possible. Mrs. Magenta, their favourite teacher, tells them “It’s up to you to connect the stars and draw the picture any way you want.” As the year unfolds, there are personal changes that could dim the brightest stars, including a catastrophe that spurs an unexpected trip to the Big Apple. The kids realize that charting their own way forward is easeir said than done. It’s an unforgettable year of choices, full of tears, laughter, surprise, and star power. I loved every single page of this last book. With each distinct voice, many different topics are covered. Death, birth, injustice, loyalty, friendship and family, they’re all here wrapped up in a delightfully heartwarming set of books featuring a couple of awesome teachers!! Mrs. Woods reminded me a lot of some of the teachers I had during primary school!!
Well, there you have my author highlight for this month. Did any of you grow up with a favourite teacher growing up in middle school? Mine was my Geography teacher, both in boarding school and high school. They had the ability to make the subject spark with all the colours in the rainbow for me!!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 