“Hard times like these make you better…as long as you have the right attitude about things,” this perceptive teacher says. But it’s the threat to the sixth-grade teacher’s job, likely to be eliminated in the wake of tax protests and school budget cuts, that really brings them back together for a series of campaigns that seem to lose the battle but win the war. Terupt seems to know what’s happening and devises a project to keep them talking. A spur-of-the-moment spin-the-bottle game goes awry, temporarily tearing the group apart. Danielle develops diabetes, and Lexie’s mother has breast cancer. Anna and Danielle scheme to become half sisters in reality. Peter and Jeffrey join the wrestling team Luke’s elected to student government. The English teacher loves words as much as Jessica does. Month by month, in alternating first-person accounts, these likable young people describe their first year in middle school. Terupt’s class in fifth and sixth grade and to their favorite teacher, whose job is in jeopardy. Terupt, the students hatch bucket-list type projects to make the school year important, memorable, and way bigger than just the group.Seventh-graders Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Jessica, Jeffrey, Luke, and Peter struggle to hold on to the bonds formed in Mr. To celebrate their remaining time with Mr. Angry at what he thinks is a betrayal, PETER gives Mr. Anxious about her dad’s return, JESSICA pours her heart into writing poetry. LUKE’s tackling lots of difficult schoolwork, none of it harder than letting Danielle know he likes her. DANIELLE has ups and downs with her diabetes, but her budding romance with Luke proves to be the real challenge. Neglected by her soon-to-be-married mom, and wounded by Jeffrey’s callous brush-off, ANNA keeps her hurt feelings bottled up–until she can’t. They still rely on him for guidance on so many things, including these dilemmas: JEFFREY wants to make varsity wrestling, but at what cost? Worried that she may have the same cancer gene as her mom, ALEXIA takes a DNA test–only she’s scared to open the results. Terupt, back for the school year as their biweekly adviser.

Jeffrey, Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Luke, Peter, and Jessica are thrilled to have their beloved teacher, Mr.

Readers will once again be inspired by how the kids face their challenges and by the adults who help them along the way. Terupt’s fifth-grade class are in eighth grade now and reunited with their beloved teacher.

Rob buyea mr terupt