The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts

Russell Culver thinks it's a miracle at first - his meaner-than-a-snake schoolteacher drops dead right before school is ready to start. But it turns out that it's not the blessing he thought it would be. Who takes the teacher's place but his own bossy big sister Tansy? And since she's in charge, she's not about to take any lip from her younger brothers.

He has to admit that she's working hard for her pay. She even visits the trashy Tarbox clan, trying to get one extra student for the school which will be the magic number eight they need to stay open. Russell's hopes are dashed when 16 year old Glen Tarbox shows up the first day of school. He can't read or write, but he's ready to learn. Especially if it means being closer to Miss show more Tansy.

But Glen has a rival - Russell's best friend Charlie is sweet on the teacher, too. And so is city slicker Eugene from the auto company. But Tansy is set on keeping her school going, despite nasty pranks and a school inspection.

This book was really funny in parts. I listened to it on tape, and I think that's the best way to read it. I loved the eulogy of Miss Myrt Arbuckle, the story of JW the dog's encounter with the porcupine, and the fire than nearly demolished the boy's privy. So funny! But it's also a wonderful slice of life of a small town and farm community in Indiana in 1904, when the train containing the latest farm equipment was the high point of the summer, better than the county fair, and when pig butchering was a community event. And at the end, the author came on saying it was dedicated to his 98 year old mother who attended just such a school in rural Indiana at the turn of the century. Great fun. 4.5 stars show less

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it," begins Richard Peck's latest novel, a book full of his signature wit and sass. Russell Culver is fifteen in 1904, and he's raring to leave his tiny Indiana farm town for the endless sky of the Dakotas. To him, school has been nothing but a chain holding him back from his dreams. Maybe now that his teacher has passed on, they'll shut the school down entirely and leave him free to roam.
No such luck. Russell has a particularly eventful season of schooling ahead of him, led by a teacher he never could have predicted--perhaps the only teacher equipped to control the likes of him: his sister Tansy. Despite stolen supplies, a privy fire, and more than any classroom's share show more of snakes, Tansy will manage to keep that school alive and maybe, just maybe, set her brother on a new, wiser course. show less

What a joy to read another book by this Newbery award winning author. He has a simple way of painting delightful images that lift off the pages and delicately enter your soul.

This is a folksy, funny and at times hilarious tale of Russell Culver, his friends and family at the turn of the century in the rural mid west.

When the one room school teacher, mean spirited, hand smacking Miss Myrt Arbuckle dies, Russell and his friends are relieved. Their joy is short lived when they learn that Russell's sister Tansy will be the new teacher.

This is a wonderful story of life in the slow lane, when the color of the bright fall leaves was noted and appreciated, when the mutt tagged along down the dirt lanes, loyally wagging his tail, when peaches show more were ripe and apples were a treasure, when fathers magically predicted a son's behavior, when adults were respected and children minded their P's and Q's, especially when taught by your sister. show less

Audience: Grades 6 and Up

The end of summer is similar to a time of mourning to many children. They see the end of long, sunny days as the death of fun and freedom. Students feel powerless against the unstoppable reality of back to school. What happens, however, when the only person qualified to teach dies in August? For the children at Hominy Ridge School, the death of Miss Myrt Arbuckle is the hope for summer resurrected. Russell Culver, the narrator, sees the passing of his teacher as a mercy to the lady herself, who was past her prime and could not even deliver a good whooping, and a miracle to the kids in town. Miss Arbuckle’s timing, according to Russell, is perfect. With such short notice, who would agree to come to teach at show more “an out-of-date, unimproved, one-room country schoolhouse in the backwoodsiest corner of Indiana”? To Russell’s surprise, however, a new teacher is secured. His very own older sister, Tansy, known for her strict ways at home, has taken the challenge of teaching a motley crew of eight students with varying ages and levels of ability. One scheme after the other, Russell attempts to thwart his sister’s teaching efforts while he plans his own escape to the Dakotas. Between spelling bees and geography quizzes, Russell tries to make sense of a world in which his big and awkward sister has suitors lining up the schoolhouse door, cars start to change the rural American landscape, and he must finally face his responsibilities as an older brother.

Richard Peck’s The Teacher’s Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts is a light-hearted account of country life in Indiana in the beginning of the 20th century. The reader sees the world through the eyes of Russell, the 15-year-old narrator who dreams of running away to the Dakotas. His days are filled with the joys of a simple life—camping, fishing, playing tricks on his siblings, helping his father with the work of the farm, and hoping for a life of freedom away from the family. Like any teenager, Russell yearns for a life free of the discipline enforced at home by his sister Tansy, but as the story develops, he learns about his own responsibilities within the family. Soon, running away becomes a distant memory in face of his new position as his brother’s role model. His confusion in face of his veiled animosity towards Eugene, the slick city guy with intentions towards Tansy, sends a clear message to the reader: even without his awareness, Russell is protective of his sister and the life they live in the farm. The Dakotas stand no chance; family comes first.

The Teacher’s Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts is a book about family and the bond that keeps it together. Mischief and plotting bring laughter to the audience, and the dark side of life never casts a shadow in the idyllic living of the characters. The Culvers are a tight lot. Even when bickering, they know what matters most—the happiness and safety of the family. In the end, Russell’s desire to undermine his sister’s teaching efforts give way to an acknowledgement of her talents and a hope for her success. The happy end brings together the boys and girls of Hominy Ridge School now as men and women who found success in both professional and personal lives. In the end, hard work pays off, country people stick together, and the sacrifices made out of love shape the world into a better place. Real life is not always like this, but maybe it should be. show less

Although I found the book to be quite funny and a refreshing step back into the olden days of rural Hoosier life, I am sure my students would not understand the tongue in cheek humor and the loveliness of hard won progress. Well done.

I've only recently been introduced to Richard Peck's work, and...wow! How have I missed these literary gems??!! I love Pecks dry wit and likable characters. This one takes place in a time when children attended a one room schoolhouse barefoot.....if they attended at all. An entertaining story about how life can drastically change due to one single event.

In this book, Richard Peck takes us back to the days of one-room schoolhouses. When Russell Culver's teacher dies just before school starts in August 1904, he has dreams of leaving school and going to the Dakotas to get work using the new threshing machines. But little does he know that Hominy Ridge School is getting a new teacher, one who will keep him and his friends in line and capture their hearts. Peck vividly creates a sense of time and place. His characters are likeable - the type that you'll root for. Little Britches (who got her name after coming out of the outhouse with her skirt tucked in her britches) was one of my favorites. I found myself smiling as the adventures unfolded, especially at the end of the book. Richard Peck show more is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. show less