Because of Mr. Terupt
by Rob Buyea
PUBL. RECOMMENDED AGE: 9-12
LEXILE READING LEVEL: 560L
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2010
NO. PAGES: 288
GENRE{S}: Realistic Fiction
MAIN CHARACTER GENDER: Mixed
ISBN: 038573882X
READ & REVIEWED BY: Eden - StorySnoop
The Story:
It is the beginning of fifth grade, and Mr. Terupt is a brand new teacher. He has his hands full with seven distinctive voices in his class: Jessica is the smart, new girl who isn't quite fitting in. Luke is the brain. Anna has a home life she's embarrassed about, and just wants to disappear. Peter is the class clown, who can't seem to sit down and focus. Lexie is a bully who feels that the best defense is a good offense. Jeffery just hates school, and nobody really knows why. Overweight Danielle can't ever seem to stand up for herself. Only Mr. Terupt seems able to reach his students, and things are beginning to look up for each of them until a fateful winter day where an accident occurs that will change everything and everyone.
The Scoop: {spoiler alert}
Because of Mr. Terupt is a lovely and inspirational story for the tween set. Each of the children in the story takes a turn narrating, which gives the reader insight into their particular situation, even though the characters may not understand each other. One girl is the daughter of a teenaged mother, who is still ostracized by a family that has strict religious beliefs. Another boy lost a brother with special needs, and his family is still grieving. The girl who bullies has a mother who has warned her not to let others take advantage of her. Mr. Terupt has an uncanny ability to understand his student's motivations and is just beginning to make progress with each of them when he is injured in an accident his students each feel responsible for. He spends several months in a coma, during which time the students must forge on without his guidance. They experience a great deal of anxiety visiting their teacher in the hospital when he has brain surgery. One of the best experiences Mr. Terupt's kids have is their surprisingly rewarding interaction with the special needs class in their school. Each student is ultimately able to conquer an important personal demon and recognize the lessons imparted to them. An important over-riding message in this book is that of personal responsibility. Most every reader will find at least one character that they identify with in this book.
Content Keywords:
{Click on a keyword to find other books containing the same subject matter}
autism
bullying
cooperation
grief
happy ending
hope
infidelity
loyalty
making new friends
mean girls
moving and relocation
overcoming shyness
parental separation
positive teacher or mentor relationship
self-confidence
self-reliance
single parenting
special education
supportive family relationship
supportive friendship
teacher role model
traumatic events
understanding
value of family
by Rob Buyea
PUBL. RECOMMENDED AGE: 9-12
LEXILE READING LEVEL: 560L
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2010
NO. PAGES: 288
GENRE{S}: Realistic Fiction
MAIN CHARACTER GENDER: Mixed
ISBN: 038573882X
READ & REVIEWED BY: Eden - StorySnoop
The Story:
It is the beginning of fifth grade, and Mr. Terupt is a brand new teacher. He has his hands full with seven distinctive voices in his class: Jessica is the smart, new girl who isn't quite fitting in. Luke is the brain. Anna has a home life she's embarrassed about, and just wants to disappear. Peter is the class clown, who can't seem to sit down and focus. Lexie is a bully who feels that the best defense is a good offense. Jeffery just hates school, and nobody really knows why. Overweight Danielle can't ever seem to stand up for herself. Only Mr. Terupt seems able to reach his students, and things are beginning to look up for each of them until a fateful winter day where an accident occurs that will change everything and everyone.
The Scoop: {spoiler alert}
Because of Mr. Terupt is a lovely and inspirational story for the tween set. Each of the children in the story takes a turn narrating, which gives the reader insight into their particular situation, even though the characters may not understand each other. One girl is the daughter of a teenaged mother, who is still ostracized by a family that has strict religious beliefs. Another boy lost a brother with special needs, and his family is still grieving. The girl who bullies has a mother who has warned her not to let others take advantage of her. Mr. Terupt has an uncanny ability to understand his student's motivations and is just beginning to make progress with each of them when he is injured in an accident his students each feel responsible for. He spends several months in a coma, during which time the students must forge on without his guidance. They experience a great deal of anxiety visiting their teacher in the hospital when he has brain surgery. One of the best experiences Mr. Terupt's kids have is their surprisingly rewarding interaction with the special needs class in their school. Each student is ultimately able to conquer an important personal demon and recognize the lessons imparted to them. An important over-riding message in this book is that of personal responsibility. Most every reader will find at least one character that they identify with in this book.
Content Keywords:
{Click on a keyword to find other books containing the same subject matter}
autism
bullying
cooperation
grief
happy ending
hope
infidelity
loyalty
making new friends
mean girls
moving and relocation
overcoming shyness
parental separation
positive teacher or mentor relationship
self-confidence
self-reliance
single parenting
special education
supportive family relationship
supportive friendship
teacher role model
traumatic events
understanding
value of family
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