Because of Mr. Terupt [Hardcover]

Rob Buyea (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 560L (What's this?)

Features seven narrators, each with a unique story, and each with a different perspective on what makes their teacher so special.

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.
 
Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.

"The characters are authentic and the short chapters are skillfully arranged to keep readers moving headlong toward the satisfying conclusion."--School Library Journal, Starred

"This powerful and emotional story is likely to spur discussion."--Publishers Weekly

"No one is perfect in this feel-good story, but everyone benefits, including sentimentally inclined readers."--Kirkus Reviews

"Compelling. . . . Readers will find much to ponder on the power of forgiveness."--Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6–Seven fifth graders at Snow Hill School in Vermont learn a variety of life lessons, not necessarily from their textbooks, when they start the school year off with their new teacher. Short chapters are actually brief narratives by individual students and sectioned off by each month of the school year, beginning with September. From the students' distinct voices readers come to understand the different personalities and backgrounds that define them. Peter, the prankster; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; and Jessica, the new girl in town who hides behind her favorite books, are just a few of the characters who shape readers' vision of the classroom. As their narrative continues, readers realize that each child has a story that only begins in school; it's the problems and conflicts that make up their home lives that come full circle because of a prank that results in tragedy. Mr. Terupt is that one teacher who really understands them, who always seems to be on their side, and who teaches them a valuable lesson no matter how much some of them try to shut him out. If the school year is a series of events, then Mr. Terupt is the catalyst that starts the chain reaction. The characters are authentic and the short chapters, some less than a page, are skillfully arranged to keep readers moving headlong toward the satisfying conclusion.–Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Mr. Terupt follows in the footsteps of those inspiring teachers who encourage their students to think for themselves, question the conventions they understand about school, and become better people. The narration here is shared by so many that it is hard for readers to feel similarly inspired, but what they’ll get instead is the school-year-long unfolding of each of seven fifth-graders as they face their own flaws, come to terms with their home lives, and reconcile their roles in a tragic accident that nearly takes the life of their beloved teacher, hinted at with the innocuous-looking snowball on the front cover. Some voices ring less true than others, which is a shame, since all of the characters have something important to say. Despite its flaws, this is a compelling novel with brief—sometimes very brief—chapters, which keep the story moving. Readers will find much to ponder on the power of forgiveness in Buyea’s meditative first novel. Grades 4-6. --Heather Booth

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038573882X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385738828
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rob taught third and fourth graders in Bethany, Connecticut, for six years before moving to Massachusetts, where he now lives with his wife and three daughters. He teaches biology and coaches wrestling at Northfield Mount Hermon School. Because of Mr. Terupt is his first novel.

You can learn more about Rob by visiting www.robbuyea.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A story with heart December 18, 2010

By Jennifer Donovan TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

This book is definitely a story with heart.

Mr. Terupt is a young teacher who not only wants to teach his students the 5th grade curriculum, but he wants to do more. He reaches out to each student individually, sometimes in very subtle ways, such as assigning two girls to be partners on a project whose families are at odds with one another. The story is told in alternating points of views from the students whose lives he's touched. The characters will be familiar, but they are in no way flat stereotypes. By getting inside the kids' heads, the reader begins to understand those who are different from them. Each fifth-grade class has these types of students, and so readers will definitely be able to relate to the cast: the mean/popular girl, the shy girl, the misfit, the brainiac, the new kid. In addition to this diverse group, the class gets involved with some special needs students as well, which is a surefire way to change the pre-adolescent "Me, me, me" mentality.

This was a great book. It's the kind of book that will appeal to adults and tweens alike. This story will be with me for a long, long time.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Great Book! August 11, 2011

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

I just finished Because of Mr. Terupt and I loved it! I am a ten year old boy that is going into fifth grade. I usually don't read as much as I should but my former teacher suggested this to me and I really liked it. It is about seven kids in fifth grade. The story is told from their different perspectives about what happens when they get a teacher who changes their lives.
The book was both funny and sad. I would recommend it for both genders. I thought it was interesting to hear a story told by different people in their own words. You could even take one person's perspective out of the book and it would make a great stand-alone story. I hope that Rob Buyea writes a sequel when the kids are in 6th grade.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kids Can't Put It Down. Powerful and Affecting January 1, 2011

By E. Collins

Format:Hardcover

I got this book for my daughter because of the John Irving cover blurb (I love John Irving). She is always wary of what I pick out but when I read the jacket copy to her (it's a book about fifth graders and she is in fifth grade), she grabbed it right out of my hands.

My daughter read this book non-stop until she finished it. She loooved it. It's sad--as she pointed out--but powerful and amazing.

A great book to get kids both reading and thinking. Great characters and story. Good job, Mr. Buyea. Hope to see more from you soon.