Because of Mr. Terupt

Gr 4–6—Fifth grade is going to be pretty much like any other year, or so some students of Snow Hill School think. After all, most of them have already established their roles—the bully, the class clown, the kid who hates school, the shy girl, the fat girl, the boy who is smarter than he admits, and so on. This forms a pecking order everyone unconsciously follows. However, this year there's a new teacher, Mr. Terupt, who is young and has unusual ideas. He expects the students to adopt a form of personal responsibility. Many of them seem unable to rise to his expectations; problems related to their home lives and past history play into their behavior. Plenty of foreshadowing shows there will be a tragedy, but who is truly at fault? Buyea's thoughtful, inspiring book (Delacorte, 2010) clearly shows his understanding of the dynamics of this age group. Mike Chamberlain and Arielle Delisle create the voices for the seven narrators—the students who provide the perspectives on the school year, Mr. Terupt, and how a group of young people learn to cope with crisis and discover that change is possible. The story is inspiring and the multiple points of view add depth. This beautifully performed production brings the book to life and makes it accessible to even more young people who will also find their lives changed by Mr. Terupt.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA