Mr. Terupt is the teacher we all wish we had. For some, he’s that teacher who touched the lives of students and changed them forever. The narrative alternates between Mr. Terupt’s seven 5th grade students. Each voice adds a unique perspective on what it means to be a student, on making and keepings friends, and how to forgive.
When disaster strikes midway through the year, the students are pushed to the emotional edge. They are hard pressed to put all of Mr. Terupt’s teachings into action when life crashes down on them.
Buyea’s writing captures the student’s voices exceptionally well. Tweens will no doubt identify with one or more of the characters. Readers are given the chance to see one disastrous event through the eyes of many. Empathy is evoked as we see how one person’s perception of events can be vastly different from another’s but they are all affected. Though the story became a bit slow, there is a lot worth discussing with a group of tweens. From grief and guilt to isolation and hope, Buyea offers a lot of thinking matter in this thoughtful novel.
Publisher: Delacorte, 2010 Pages: 288
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Public Library
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