Because of Mr. Terupt

Because of Mr. Terupt is the story of one fifth-grade classroom and their inspirational teacher, and what happens in the aftermath of a tragic accident. I can see why this book has achieved moderate popularity: it has the funny and heartwarming elements typical to this type of story, and with its school setting and balance of male and female point of view characters, it will work well in the classroom. I found it difficult to distinguish between some of the characters -- Jessica and Anna, for instance, have a very similar narrative voice. Still, it made for a pleasant read (well, listen, as I read it via audiobook) and I'll recommend it to readers looking for something a little bit like Wonder, as it has the same sort of setting and show more gentle moral tone. show less

I picked this up because I witnessed a group of grade 6 students last September in the library. They didn’t know that I was watching them browse for books. One of them reverently pulled “Because of Mr. Terupt” off the spinner and whispered, “Hey guys...remember this?” The other students clustered around, nodded solemnly and smiled as they shared a private moment that I just knew was special. I wished, more than anything, that I’d had a video camera running to document that magical moment. I found out later by casual inquiry that their grade 5 teacher had read the book to her class and allowed them to discuss the book in groups. It was clearly one of their favourite memories from their previous grade so OF COURSE I needed to show more read the book for myself.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Buyea captures the dynamics of the classroom perfectly and I could imagine each of the students as being clones of students I’ve taught. The book is perfectly paced, and lends itself to multiple opportunities for discussion without being preachy or phoney. I know it’s an older title but sometimes there are books that get talked about so much that I lose my urge to read it. I’m glad that I finally got to it. Well worth while!
I’m going to purchase the other two. I want my clsssroom to have all 3 books”. I think I’ll add it to my “books every kid needs to read list. It’s a classic show less

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 show more 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.– show less

I knew within the first three or four pages that this book was worthy of the award(s) it's won. This was an incredible story, from beginning to end. I LOVED the fact that it was told from 7 different points of view. Well written, very entertaining, with some great life lessons added for good measure!

I really liked Because of Mr. Terupt . It is a perfect family or classroom read-aloud because it will lead to some really good discussions about a plethora of topics. It is a story told through the eyes of 7 students. Each different voice is very distinguishable, and each different student has their own set of problems. It is inspiring to see their growth throughout their 5th grade school year. I did have one issue with how much the teacher let the kids get away with, but that was addressed later in the book so I felt better. I also had a hard time buying into the idea that people today would be so prejudiced against a 5th grade girl whose mother had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, but it adds to the story. I'm sad I'm just discovering show more this book - it was published in 2010. However, I think it is my favorite children's fiction book since I read Wonder in 2012. There is also a sequel called Mr. Terupt Falls Again - I'm hoping it is as good as the first. I definitely recommend this one.

Areas of concern:
A few crudities were used by the students.
There are several issues brought up that may need discussion - unwed pregnancy, divorce, death of a sibling, bullying, calling special needs kids "retard"... That sounds like a lot of dark stuff, but it is dealt with very beautifully. show less

It's possible this review will be incredibly biased. As someone who has just finished her second year of teaching with a group of third graders who may have changed her life, am I over-identifying with every single aspect of this story? Possibly.

That said, this book made me cry.

The beginning seemed pretty uneventful - Mr. Terupt is a "rookie" teacher who takes on a class of fifth graders. I smiled at all of the patented "teacher moves" that permeate this character (this book was SO OBVIOUSLY written by somebody who has experience running a classroom!). I myself have tried the chain-link class reward system Mr. T utilizes. His use of project-based learning was fun to see - glad to know we teachers agree on what makes learning most show more effective - when its fun! But I digress. All in all, I enjoyed being able to identify strongly with this character in a sweet, light-hearted way through the kids. And the kids were great portrayals of characters you could find in any fifth grade class - I could certainly identify parts of a few students I've taught in fifth grade-going-on-sixth. Also, for me the disjointed character-switching really worked. It felt (perhaps unsurprisingly) like I was actually seeing things through the teacher's eyes - which makes sense since in my experience a huge chunk of teaching is trying to get inside each of your students' heads, to see what's going on and how you can navigate pathways to help them achieve something that day. So in the end the way the author switched narrators almost constantly felt really authentic to me.

And then came part two. Now, it wasn't the contrived accident that made me emotional. Up to that point, events in the novel were progressing as expected. Kids were being kids, who were opening up and growing (slowly) under a pretty great teacher. And then comes the sudden upheaval that changes everything. Standard stuff. It was what came after that upheaval that really got to me. As Mr. T really took a back seat, each kid shined in his or her own moment time and again, in a way that wasn't ridiculously obvious or overly moralized. It wasn't the tragedy that was the center of the story, but the seven students who were incredibly strong focal points. And that was how I was able to connect so deeply with the book - as each character changes, the ideas behind this story grow stronger and stronger - until, well, it's 6 o'clock in the morning and you have a tears on your face.

Again, it's probable that I am identifying so strongly with this book because of my own experiences. Still, even if this book doesn't make you feel the way that I did, the strong characterizations and shifting voices really makes it a quick but thought-provoking read! show less

Because of Mr Terupt by Rob Buyea is a book that I think could have an impact on a classroom full of students. One of the main parts of the story is the impact Mr Terupt has on a student. So, when a teacher is reading this out loud to students, they can see the importance in having a good relationship with their teachers. I also like that this story is written from the perspective of multiple different students. When reading a book in this perspective, readers are able to learn different things about all of the characters, and not just one of them. Personally I rate this book 5 stars because of the lessons learned from it and the writing style.