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54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the new classic series for children, January 23, 2000
This first novel in the Coville's "My Teacher" series is, in several ways, unique from the three proceeding stories that follow it.
In one of his biggest best sellers, childrens' Bruce Coville sets out to tell a story that will capture the imagination of a typical fourth to sixth grader, while writing a story of enough substance to delight adults as well. The premise is certainly interesting enough: what would happen if one of your teachers was an alien? Worst yet, what if said alien was planning to kidnap you and four of your classmates at the end of the school term?
Coville takes that premise and runs with it. The main heroine, Susan Simmons, has just that situation on her hands. This is the story of how Susan must find a way to overcome Mr Smith, who is not quite as human as he appears. There are several memorable scenes, such as the first time Susan sees Mr. Smith unmasked, the unraveling mystery of what happened to Ms Schwartz, the teacher Mr. Smith replaced, the ongoing tension and fear the school begins to feel as the alien rumours spread, and the towering climax at the story's end.
Where Coville keeps the story so accessible is he takes everyday life at school that kids are intimately familiar with, and charges up it with a tightly structured, fast paced science fiction plot that keeps you reading. All the typical school kids are here. The school bully (Duncan Dougal). The social, geeky outcast (Peter Thompson). The goodytwoshoes kids (Stacey and Mike). The average, well rounded student (Susan Simmons).
Enough cannot be said about Broxholm, the alien. The character is well drawn, believable, and scary. You really start rooting for Susan to overcome him. In the first book, he is a menance that must be overcome. All this changes in this book's three sequels. It stands as a testemant to Coville's skills as a children's writer that by the end of the four novels you truly sympathise with Broxholm.
In the end, Coville has created a highly readable story that will keep kids clamoring for more. I dare say if there are any adults along for the ride they will find this book a highly enjoyable light read as well.
The first novel in the series, in many ways, is also the most different. After becoming an international bestseller, Coville wrote three more sequels to this story. They are as exciting and fast pace as the original are, although much more serious and not nearly as light hearted. The principal difference between the first "My Teacher" book and the proceeding three is this is very much a stand-alone book. You can read this without reading the other three. The other three are all heavily interdependent of one another to conclude the story.
The other principal difference between this and the sequels is the first book is a rollicking good science fiction story without any deep undercurrents or themes. Starting with the first sequel, "My Teacher Fried My Brains," Coville develops the story to a deeper philosophical statement on the state humanity is in. The fourth and final novel, My Teacher Flunked the Planet, is much more serious in tone and subject matter, with a much broader scope, than the first novel.
While in many ways the three sequels are as satisfying to the reader as the first, they just don't compare with that lightening bolt success of the original. However, what makes this series such an outstanding success in the world of children's literature is the deep psychological awareness that Coville demonstrates about the human condition, and the willingness he displays of tackling such heady subjects in the form of middle-school novels. While the first one is certainly highly readable and self-contained, you would be amiss if you did not read the rest of the series.
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49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Most Excellent Series, April 11, 2000
A truly great series. I first read it was I was probably 11 or 12 (which is the target-audience). I loved them. I have read them probably 5 or 6 times. Coville is an excellent writer; this is one of his crowning achievements in children's literature. Now I am twenty. I pulled out my old dusty copies of these works, and as soon as I finish Hunt for the Autumn Clowns I'm going to take a quick trip down memory lane with this serious (before I tackle the Potter books and R. Jordan). This is a very well-constructed series. The first book is an absolute classic. Although the others are excellent, just like Lion, Witch, Wardrobe this will be the one everyone thinks of when they think of the series. It has classic elements of an alien trying to kidnap people to do experiments and testing on. Save in this (if I remember correctly) you don't know WHY he wants the people, or kids. Then we go to the second, My Teacher Fried My Brains. A very lovable sequel, it is here we get into the mind of Duncan Dougal, the bully in the first book. We find "poots", a Medusa-like alien, and machine that makes you perceive music/TV in yr head and makes you a zillion times smarter (the zillion being a rough estimate, of course ;)). And it seems, perhaps, there is something more to the aliens then at first they thought. Won't give any spoilers away, so don't worry. But there is a nice little surprise at the end. Then we get to the third volume, My Teacher Glows in the Dark. My personal favorite, it's set on the spaceship New Jersey. It introduced all sorts of nice imagery, and concepts I have used in my own writings (The URAT. Surgically installed device, so you can understand the other creatures on board. Though not by device, I have used similar methods to cross over the language barrier when I want to have different species get together in my own stories for any suspended period of time). We get to meet the lovable Hoo-Lan, who is quite the doll. It is set entirely on the ship (with the exception of an instance where they go onto another planet), as state up above, so we get to see fascinating alien environments. Then we get to the fourth, My Teacher Flunked the Planet. It is here the series as a whole climaxes. It is the darkest story of the lot, primarily because of its subject matter is a lot denser and much more real in the sense of tragedy than the other three stories. The others build up to this moment. From a writer's standpoint, this is a most excellent case or instance of carefully crafted and wrought stories for children. It is here Coville ties up the loose ends (and there are quite a few). The ending is a very interesting concept or perception of humanity. Although I am a Christian, and I do not agree with the whole evolution idea, for the sake of the story it worked. It is much more of a sentimental favorite for me, because I grew up reading (and reading and reading and reading) these four volumes. As I said, my personal favorite is the third story. The only problem with this one is it is heavily dependent on the others three books to carry the story. My Teacher is an Alien, which was never intended for a series, is the most stand alone of all the books. It has the most distinct feel of a modern children's classic.* But, unlike The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (for me), this is as good as the rest of them. Then the publishers wanted more because it turned out to be an unexpected hit. So he wrote the second. It is stand alone - to a point. You can tell there is more coming, and the issue is not resolved. Then the third one just exaggerates that feeling. Its like Act I builds and sets the rules. It doesn't need another thing to be complete. It is complete in sense it is self-contained. Act II further complicates Act I, and hints at what is to be in Act III. But to be complete, it needs Act III. Act III comes along. Originally, according to the preface in the Collector's edition, it was supposed to be a trilogy, but the story was too long, so he divided up into two parts. Act III in this instances just builds and intensifies the need for completion. It depends on the two acts before it to build up to it, and then it depends on Act IV to complete it. Act IV is the completion. (Much of what I say here echoes what George Lucas said of Star Wars in the interview released with them when they rereleased the Star Wars original edition. ESB is the best in that series, but, just like Book 2 and 3 in this series, need RoJ to be completed, and is not a stand alone film). * (When I say a classic feel, its just like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. All the Narnia books are classics and are most excellent [scary, now I'm sounding like Bill and Ted - yike!], but LWW has the most classic feel of them all, and, btw, is my least favorite of the series. It has some classic scenes, especially Tumnus the Faun standing in the wood with parcels and an umbrella. But overall, the Christianity is way too explicit. I like, if you are using fantasy as a vehicle to express Christianity, not to be beat over the head with it, which is what I feel Lewis did with Aslan and the Stone Table. I love Narnia, and LWW is good, but the others are so MUCH better!) Narnia is better than this, and most children's fiction for that matter.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read book, November 18, 1999
This was an awe inspiring series. I started it in 6th grade and saved pennies to get all the books. Mr. Coville deals with real life problems in an entertaining and enlightening manner. He's so clever at including values and life lessons that you don't realize you've learned something until after you've raced through the book. I'm now 20 yrs. old and just before I wrote this I was rereading the books. They're still great! If you have to do a book report and you don't mind getting hooked on reading for life. Start this series. You won't regret it.
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