★ 04/25/2016
Three sixth-grade boys embark on a tragicomic quest to do something special for their beloved teacher, who has announced that she won’t be able to finish out the year following her cancer diagnosis. Upon learning that Ms. Bixby is in the hospital and this is their last chance to see her, best friends Topher, Brand, and Steve concoct a plan to skip school, acquire certain supplies, and spring Ms. Bixby for one last day of fun. But as good intentions collide with reality, the three are forced to adapt their plan and confront the possibility of defeat. The narrative unfolds in humorous yet insightful ways, illuminating Ms. Bixby’s influence on the students’ personal and scholastic lives and emphasizing the power that a good teacher, mentor, or friend can have. Topher’s rich imagination, Steve’s sharp intelligence, and Brand’s common sense keep the rotating voices distinct and the story lively. Anderson (The Dungeoneers) skillfully balances realism and comic exaggeration in an emotionally rich tale that holds no miracles, other than the small human kind. Ages 8–12. Agency: Adams Literary. (June)
Kids won’t just love this book. They need it.” — Soman Chainani, New York Times-bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil
“Forget the dragons. Forget the swords and shields. Here is the true quest: to face the unendurable, knowing defeat is inevitable, and yet continuing with dignity and honor and purpose and, even, joy. Each page crackles as we embark on the greatest adventure of all.” — Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of Okay For Now
“A story of that one teacher we all have who we’ll never forget, told with laugh-out-loud humor and oh, so much heart.” — Gordon Korman, New York Times-bestselling author of Ungifted
“Brand, Steve and Topher are a comic, lovable crew, and wise, pink-haired Ms. Bixby is the teacher every child deserves. This is a touching, often hilarious story of endings, beginnings, and self-discovery. As Brand would say, frawesome!” — Tricia Springstubb, author of Moonpenny Island
“Anderson skillfully balances realism and comic exaggeration in an emotionally rich tale that holds no miracles, other than the small human kind.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“This surprising, inspiring, and relatable book is perfect for boys and girls who loved Wonder and will make you fondly remember your favorite teacher.” — Brightly
This surprising, inspiring, and relatable book is perfect for boys and girls who loved Wonder and will make you fondly remember your favorite teacher.
Brand, Steve and Topher are a comic, lovable crew, and wise, pink-haired Ms. Bixby is the teacher every child deserves. This is a touching, often hilarious story of endings, beginnings, and self-discovery. As Brand would say, frawesome!
Kids won’t just love this book. They need it.
A story of that one teacher we all have who we’ll never forget, told with laugh-out-loud humor and oh, so much heart.
Forget the dragons. Forget the swords and shields. Here is the true quest: to face the unendurable, knowing defeat is inevitable, and yet continuing with dignity and honor and purpose and, even, joy. Each page crackles as we embark on the greatest adventure of all.
This surprising, inspiring, and relatable book is perfect for boys and girls who loved Wonder and will make you fondly remember your favorite teacher.
12/01/2016
Gr 4–6—When Topher, Steve, and Brand learn that Ms. Bixby is terminally ill, they decide to cut class and give their beloved teacher a truly special tribute, but nothing goes as planned. Simultaneously heartrending, uproariously funny, and affirming, this is that rare story that centers on loss yet isn't overwhelmed by grief or pain; at its heart, this tale celebrates life, friendship, and the importance of finding one's own voice.
Narrators Jesse Bernstein, Ramon de Ocampo, and Maxwell Glick prove their excellence as they quickly define the trio of sixth-graders featured in this story: Topher is a bit sarcastic, Steve is big on getting the facts, and Brand enjoys wordplay. At first, the story takes a light tone as the boys run from a girl with cooties. But the tone changes abruptly when their teacher, Ms. Bixby, announces she must leave to start cancer treatment. The boys come up with a plan to honor her. It gains in complexity and demands extreme courage. Soon, the boys’ collaborative power becomes clear as do the reasons for their devotion to this life-changing teacher. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
★ 2016-03-16
Determined to give their hospitalized teacher a worthy "last day," three sixth-grade boys skip school and persevere on an impossible quest, deepening their friendship and discovering inner courage they didn't know they had. Ms. Bixby was one of the "Good Ones"—the kind of teacher you pay attention to and who pays attention to you. For each of the three narrators in this moving story, she meant something special. Topher, Steve, and Brand feel unappreciated at home: white artist Topher's parents are busy working; Japanese-American Steve feels inferior to his perfect sister, who meets his father's high standards; and white Brand has shouldered adult responsibilities because his paraplegic father is too depressed to do household tasks. Alternating chapters chronicle their efforts to acquire an expensive cheesecake, a bottle of wine, and a large bag of french fries for a celebratory picnic in the park across the street from the hospital where Ms. Bixby, who recognized their strengths, is being treated for pancreatic cancer. Not surprisingly, their mission is not entirely successful, but, like Atticus Finch, they see it through. Anderson's dialogue is realistic, and his choice of first-person narration gradually reveals each boy's history and personal growth. His characters are believable 12-year-old boys. The urban setting is appropriately diverse and gritty, and humor and pathos are nicely balanced. Sad and satisfying in just the right amounts. (Fiction. 8-12)
