Because of Mr. Terupt

Because of Mr. Terupt
Rob Buyea
Delacorte, 2010 288 pages
Grades 3-7
Realistic Fiction

Seven fifth-grade students recount the school year from the class of rookie teacher, Mr. Terupt. Each narrator speaks in the first person and gives their interpretation of events reflecting their own personalities. The students range from the class clown, the class brain, queen bee, a new girl recently moved from California, a boy mourning the loss of a brother, a girl overcoming her mother's past, and a slightly chubby farm girl with no confidence. We see through the eyes and voices of the students the unconventional methods of this new teacher and how he leads the kids to independent learning. New experiences include out-of-the-box educational opportunities and visits to the special needs classroom, where they make friends. Barriers are breaking down and new friendships are forming when tragedy strikes. The children earn a reward and they chose to have an adventure outside in the Vermont snow. A snowball fight ensues, which quickly gets out of hand, and the class clown accidentally beans Mr. Terupt on the head. The teacher goes down and is taken to the hospital, where he remains in a coma. The children feel terrible and responsible for the horrible incident and for some it dregs up hurts from the past. The class gathers in the waiting room for the surgery that could save Mr. Terupt. Will he recover? Will the children find grace and peace with their involvement in the accident and learn to forgive themselves? Where do they go from here?

When this book was released seven years ago I did not purchase it for my library. Based on the reviews I didn't think it was spectacular enough or would be popular enough to garner purchase. After many, many requests from young patrons I finally gave in and purchased the book, along with the two sequels that followed. Kids love this book and it is always checked out of my library, finally encouraging me to read it. What is the appeal? The short narrations allow for a fast read. The school setting is one that all kids can relate to and the characters are easily identifiable in every classroom. The problems faced by the children in this story are real problems faced by everyday kids. Mr. Terupt is every kid's dream teacher: a teacher who makes learning fun and really GETS them. The disaster that ensues will make every young reader gasp and identify with the guilt that follows. Buyea spent most of his adult life in the classroom. He knows his way around the minds of children. The characters are all distinctly written and readers will not have any trouble telling them apart. Both boys and girls will enjoy this story and it is perfect for classroom use and book discussion. Many themes are introduced and the book can be useful on many levels to a wide audience. I personally found that the story was a bit obvious and lacked finesse, but it is at its core a book for children and the readership will find comfort in the predictability. Buyea's latest school story, which will be released in October, The Perfect Score, leaves the gang from Mr. Terupt's class and takes on the educational controversy of standardized testing.