Rule the School

March 25, 2019
Originally released in Australia, this neatly crafted schoolroom tale jump-starts the Mr. Bambuckle series with gusto, introducing an original and credible cast of young characters and an ingenious, perspicacious adult protagonist. Entering their classroom, the students in 12B find their new teacher, dapper Mr. Bambuckle, balancing on a unicycle on his desk while singing what he explains is “a rare Mongolian welcome song.” The classmates relish the good-natured newcomer’s adroit outwitting of the stodgy principal and creative reinvention of rules: he insists they yell out questions rather than raise their hands, retrieve their cellphones from “wherever you’re hiding them” to create new apps, and “come up with a quite ridiculous use for a bicycle.” Harris balances outlandish classroom antics with students’ heartfelt first-person stories, which reveal their fears, frustrations, and triumphs—and their growing self-confidence, thanks to the all-knowing teacher. Hart’s boisterous black-and-white cartoons help move the story to a mischievous ending that leaves readers hanging as the class bully—in a sly tweak of circumstance—is poised to emerge a hero in the cast’s second outing, Class 12B Fights Back, due out simultaneously. Ages 8–12. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Rights People.

March 1, 2019
A male Mary Poppins of education, Mr. Bambuckle is every student's dream teacher.When their regular teacher, Miss Schlump, moves to Switzerland with a helicopter pilot, the students of room 12B are startled by their strange replacement teacher. Wearing a dazzling blue suit and balancing on his unicycle atop his desk, Mr. Bambuckle has a frypan full of breakfast and eccentric ideas about education. The students' first assignment is to redesign the trite encouragement stickers Miss Schlump liked to use. After timid Evie narrates her frightening encounter with a possibly possessed washing machine and Mr. Bambuckle confronts cranky Cafeteria Carol with kindness, the 15 students get to come up with ideas for phone apps. Various students take turns narrating humorous episodes, with third-person chapters knitting them together. It's all good, silly fun, but principal Mr. Sternblast wants to rid himself and the school of Bambuckle just when the kids are warming up to him. Originally published in Australia as Mr. Bambuckle's Remarkables, Harris' introductory tale of 12B is both funny and surprising. Published simultaneously with sequel Class 12B Fights Back (a good thing given the cliffhanger end), this will entertain young readers, who will easily find their traits among the students. Hart's black-and-white spot and full-page illustrations are appropriately goofy, combining with naming convention to identify a few students of color. Mr. Bambuckle and the principal present white.Should readily win fans. (Fiction. 7-11)

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May 24, 2019

Gr 2-4-The students in classroom 12B at Blue Valley School have never had a teacher like Mr. Bambuckle. When Miss Schlump, their former teacher, falls in love with a helicopter pilot and moves to Switzerland, she is replaced with the bacon-cooking, unicycle-riding Mr. Bambuckle. The class's day takes an immediate turn towards fun as they spend their time storytelling, inventing apps, and tackling creative problem-solving. The tales are tall, the homework is unique, and the tricks up this teacher's sleeves are often magical and mostly hilarious. No one is complaining-that is, almost no one. If Principal Sternblast had his way, he'd find a replacement as soon as possible. The students are in no rush for a new teacher and it looks like they might get their way...for now. This illustrated novel, the first of a proposed series, is full of laughs and high jinks that will enthrall readers. The cartoon-style illustrations add to the text's light, humorous tone. Even in the more serious moments, readers will know that silliness is not far away. Occasionally, the time line and plot can be hard to follow amongst side features including interviews, notes passed back and forth, and homework samples. VERDICT Readers will be won over by Mr. Bambuckle's magical ways and the delightful stories his students tell. A solid purchase for libraries seeking funny school stories.-Louie Lauer, Jefferson Elementary School, Fargo, ND

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