4 stars
This one was so cute and heartwarming. A classroom full of “screwups” for whatever reason are stuck with a completely apathetic, checked-out teacher. With a POV for pretty much every character in the book, I’m surprised it works as well as it does. But it’s lovely to see how this teacher who doesn’t seem to care at all wins over his class–and how they bring him back to the world of the living, little by little.
Some parts, especially in the last quarter of the book, seemed a little cheesy for my tastes, but kids’ll love this one. It’s funny and authentically middle grade, and there are a few moments that had me going, “YES!!!” and grinning like a maniac.
It would make a great classroom read-aloud, but would also be fun to read with your own kids. Lots of opportunities for discussion as well.
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