(click on title to listen to the podcast)
Ms. Foley was enthusiastic about everything and made learning feel like an adventure. Mr. Lapchis was patient and encouraging when I broke into tears during a math lesson. Mrs. Davis had us write and perform our own full-length play about colonial America and the Revolutionary War (which made up for the fact that she made us read Johnny Tremain - blech). Mrs. Countryman led us outside in the middle of class to perform dances in honor of Snowina, the Goddess of Snow, in hopes of a few days off of school.
Mrs. Moeschler not only instilled in us a love of literature, but she made us feel loved and valued. Mr. Manion acted as a surrogate dad, going so far as to give every one of us a quarter and his home phone number in case we found ourselves in a jam and were too scared to call our own family for help. These are just a handful of the incredible teachers I have been lucky enough to learn from, to be inspired by, and who have had a hand in the educator and person I am today. The end of the school year will be here before we know, so I thought it was the perfect time to celebrate some of the incredible teachers found in middle grade titles.
Welcome to episode eight of Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights books aimed at 4th through 6th graders that fit a specific theme. I'm Sarah Threlkeld, a former middle school Reading teacher, current elementary school librarian, and someone who definitely didn't appreciate how amazing a lot of my teachers were when I was in school. Mr. Saito, if you're listening I feel awful about mouthing off to you after our ice skating field trip in tenth grade. Yes, there are some educators out there who are duds and leave coworkers, parents and students scratching their heads as to why they became teachers in the first place if they don't seem to enjoy being around children, but, from my experience, the majority of teachers care deeply about their students, work tirelessly on their behalf, and go above and beyond their required duties. So, let me take this opportunity to thank all of the dedicated, hard-working men and women who nurtured me as a student and who have supported, inspired and entertained me as a colleague. Now, throw on your comfiest cardigan or jumper, polish up an apple, take a seat at your assigned desk, and get ready to learn about some amazing literary teachers.
A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bidner opens with best friends, Rip and Red, walking to school, excited about starting fifth grade. Their excitement turns into concern, however, when the principal isn't waiting to greet all the students, as usual, and the teacher they were expecting to see isn't in their classroom. Instead, Rip, Red and the rest of their classmates are welcomed by Mr. Acevedo, a man they've never seen before, who sports jeans, high-tops and tattoos. What in the world is going on? As someone who is on the autism spectrum, Red has an especially hard time dealing with unexpected changes and Rip takes it upon himself to help his best friend cope, not just at school, but on the basketball court, as well, where Mr. Acevedo happens to be the boys’ coach. As the kids get used to Mr. Acevedo’s teaching style, they flourish both academically and emotionally, but a lot of the parents are uncomfortable with the first-year teacher’s unconventional ideas and challenge his ability to successfully prepare his students for the upcoming state tests. Will Mr. Acevedo compromise his beliefs about teaching and learning to appease the parents and lose his enthusiasm in the process or will he prove that his somewhat unconventional tactics are effective?
A Whole New Ballgame is funny, fast-paced, inspiring, and full of quirky characters. The students are very diverse, in terms of ethnicity, ability and interests, which makes it easy for readers to find characters they identify with. I finished it it two sittings and am itching to dive into the sequel, Rookie of the Year, so I can find out what's next in store for Rip, Red and Mr. Acevedo. Here's an excerpt from the beginning of the book when Mr. Acevedo explains his approach to teaching to his new students.
Excerpt - pages 13-16
I read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan out loud to my sixth graders for years and it was always the highlight of the semester (well, maybe after the Vocab Showdown), so even though Mr. Brunner doesn't have a huge part in the story, I couldn't bring myself to leave him off my list of incredible teachers.
Mr. Brunner makes an appearance in the first chapter of the book when, while on a class fieldtrip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he singles out Percy during a lecture on ancient Greek art. Percy is a tad miffed that his teacher puts so much pressure on him to know information the rest of the kids don’t know, but it’s obvious that he still respects Mr. Brunner. Percy’s admiration of the man only increases after he helps Percy battle an algebra teacher who morphs into some kind of airborne demon. Who knew museums could be so dangerous?
For those of you who haven't read The Lightning Thief, here's a brief recap:
- Twelve-year old Percy lives with his mom and disgusting stepdad in Manhattan and never knew his father, who died when he was a baby
- Strange things have happened to Percy his entire life, especially on school field trips, but he never gives them much thought
- Towards the end of the school year Percy overhears Mr. Brunner and his best friend Grover having a really odd conversation about him, then Grover starts acting even more protective and peculiar than usual, and soon after that a ginormous, blood-thirsty Minotaur shows up and tries to devour Percy and his best buddy
Yeah, just your typical start of summer vacation, right? And that’s just the first four chapters. I don't want to give away much more; all I can say is The Lightning Thief is action-packed, fast-paced (except for chapter five which is a snooze fest), funny, and informative. I'm not embarrassed to admit that most of what I know about Greek mythology comes from this series. But now back to the podcast topic at hand. Here’s an excerpt from chapter one where readers get a taste of why Mr. Brunner is such a great teacher.
Excerpt - pages 6-8
A teacher must be pretty special if her students are willing to skip school, spend all their money, and break the law for her. Topher, Steve and Brand, the three narrators of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson, do all that and more on a day they will remember for the rest of their lives.
Ms. Bixby is, as Topher puts it, one of the Good Ones. She cares about each and every person in her classroom and sees them for who they truly are, not what they are pretending to be in order to save face or to look cool in front of their peers. She is passionate about teaching and makes learning engaging. That’s why the news she shares with her sixth graders is all the more devastating - she has pancreatic cancer and won’t finish out the school year. When Ms. Bixby doesn’t show up on the day of the going away party students planned for her, best friends Topher, Steve and Brand know they may never see their beloved teacher again, so they concoct an outrageous plan to visit her in the hospital and give her one perfect afternoon.
Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is a beautiful celebration of those teachers who positively impact the lives of every student that passes through their classroom. Readers will empathize with each of the narrators, delight in the unexpected twists and turns of their adventure across the city, and weep at their loss. Yep, this book is a total roller coaster of emotions. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter where Topher describes six different types of teachers. I think most of you will recognize a few of them.
Excerpt - pages 5-7
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea is one of those books that kids beg you to read one more chapter from. There were a few times when my students even offered to stay in my room and skip their next class so they could hear more. The book is narrated by seven different students, which is the perfect way for readers to gain insight into the characters’ lives and see how events are perceived differently. Like Mr. Acevedo from A Whole New Ballgame, Mr. Terupt is a new teacher and some of his teaching choices raise a few eyebrows in the community. His students, however, adore him and find themselves learning a ton, while also managing to have fun. Unfortunately, that fun gets out of control one day and tragedy strikes their beloved Mr. Terupt. This book is funny, thought-provoking, and perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction. There are also two sequels, so you won’t be heartbroken when you come to the end of the first book and have to say goodbye to Peter, Jessica, Alexia, Luke, Danielle, Jeffrey, and Anna. Here’s a glimpse into the minds of some of the students as they meet Mr. Terupt for the first time.
Excerpt - pages 1-2, 6-7, and 10
There you have it, not a Trunchbull in the bunch. If I had the time and energy, I could go on and on about incredible teachers in middle grade fiction, but I’m thinking my fabulous listeners aren’t too keen on listening to me talk for three hours. I will, however, mention a few other titles that are worth tracking down if you are in the mood for some warm fuzzies and maybe a tear or two. Patricia Polacco wrote a picture book called Thank You, Mr. Falker about her own experience with a life-changing teacher and, I’m warning you now, it is almost impossible to get through reading it out loud without getting choked up, at least if you’re a teacher. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell are uplifting stories about kids struggling with learning disabilities and the teachers who recognize their potential; The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg, one of my all-time favorite authors, tells the story of a seemingly random group of students brought together by Mrs. Olinski to form an Academic Bowl team that exceeds everyone’s expectations; and The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake, which is more appropriate for middle school readers, explores issues of race, gender, and self-esteem through the eyes of seventh grader Maleeka Madison, who is challenged and changed by a new teacher.
I hope hearing about these amazing educators has you fondly reminiscing about some of the incredible teachers you’ve been fortunate enough to learn from. Maybe you’ll even be inspired to send one of them a note of appreciation. As someone who has worked with kids for the last 12 years, I can’t begin to tell you how meaningful it is to hear kind words from current and former students.
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast and for helping me celebrate some of my favorite fictional teachers. If you happen to be a teacher, thank you for your hard work and dedication. If you enjoy this podcast and want to spread the middle grade book love, I'd be forever grateful if you posted a review on iTunes. As always, you can track me down through my blog at happyrdng.blogspot.com, where you can also find transcripts of every episodes and links to the books I mention, and I'm on Twitter under the handle @happyrdng. Until next time, dear listeners, happy reading!
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