This is a precious little gem of a young adult book. It's about a 5th grade class who gets a 1st year teacher, Mr. Terupt. There is some name calling and an introduction to mean girls in the book, so if you don't want your kids to be exposed to that yet, pass on this book. However, the redemptive value of this book is amazing.
It helps you see that everyone has a story and when kids in your class act a certain way, it's usually for a reason. Good issues to discuss are bullying, things happen for a reason (the sovereignty of God), blame and guilt, and prayer. Keep in mind, this is not a Christian book. But, one of the 5th graders is a Christian, so she pray throughout the book.
The only negative thing I can say about the novel is the lack of strong good fathers. But that is accurate for many, many kids so that criticism is just due to my bias. But I like that the teacher was male and the book showcases why having men in the teaching profession is important especially for the multitude of kids without a father figure.
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