The Perfect Score

Gr 4–6—In a stand-alone title similar to his "Mr. Terupt" series, Buyea continues to show middle grade readers how to overcome personal flaws to form a better whole. In this heartwarming narrative told in the alternating viewpoints of sixth graders Gavin, Natalie, Randi, Scott, and Trevor, readers slowly learn of the personal problems each student faces that affect their behavior in class and during extracurricular activities. As the story opens, the students are stunned and disappointed over the lost opportunity to have the awesome Mr. Mitchell as their teacher. However, the replacement teacher, Mrs. Woods, eventually wins them over and soothes their wounded feelings. Faced with adjusting to the reserved mannerisms of Mrs. Woods, students are surprised at how well she manages the classroom. They establish class rules by creating their own Bill of Rights; instead of having to read class sets of books, Mrs. Woods reads aloud to them. Mrs. Woods selects R.J. Palacio's Wonder, Gordon Korman's Ungifted, and Avi's Nothing but the Truth. The kids also work on a community service project with their science teacher, Mrs. Magenta. Once they learn what teamwork is, the sixth graders figure out ways to prepare for and pass the annual standardized assessments. Topics explored include sibling abuse, bullying, poverty, learning disabilities, pressures within competitive sports, community service responsibilities, and ethical values.