The Perfect Score

August 21, 2017
As he did with younger students in his Mr. Terupt books, Buyea takes readers into a sixth-grade classroom to follow five memorable students: Natalie, a rule-following future lawyer; Scott, a kid with brains, heart, and big ideas (that always seem to go south); Trevor, who acts tougher than he is; Gavin, a football enthusiast who struggles in school; and Randi, a state-ranked gymnast with loads of pressure at home. After their expected teacher moves away, they wind up with the elderly Mrs. Woods, whose no-nonsense style dates back to when their parents were in school, but whose love of books and underlying compassion wins them over. As the pressure to perform during state testing mounts, the five students reluctantly band together with a risky plan to ace them. Buyea gives his narrators clear voices and diverse backstories. The plot, however, plods along, pushed forward mostly by amusing mishaps (perpetrated by the irrepressible Scott) until the testing debacle late in the book. The students’ stories are compelling, and Buyea confidently mixes humor and heart, but the story lacks tension until the final chapters. Ages 9–12.

August 1, 2017
Middle school students contend with standardized tests. Flawed and gifted in equal amounts, Natalie, Randi, Trevor, Mark, Gavin, and Scott, whether they know it or not, are all looking for solutions. Multiple points of view within the conceit of an investigation of a standardized-test cheating scheme focus on each student's personal, social, and familial issues, tackled in different ways with support from their teachers and friends. However, many of the fixes are formulaic or temporary--for example, though they've made friendships or improved in reading, there are no plans in place for the kids with behavioral or learning disorders--and readers will have to think outside of the book and past the happy ending to realize that the problems haven't been fully solved. While the negative impact of standardized tests on students is addressed provocatively, the sometimes-facile treatment of other problems--an abusive brother, parental judgement and criticism, relative poverty, ethical conundrums, friendlessness, dyslexia, impulse control--lends the book a superficial air. (Race is not an issue explored, as the book seems to subscribe to the white default.) Still, readers will be drawn in by the lively voices and eventful lives of these likable and engaging students and may gain some insight and empathy into the plights of others. An introduction to teen social and emotional issues that takes care not to delve too deeply into the darker side of things. (Fiction. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2017

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. VERDICT Recommended for fans of the "Mr. Terupt" series, Lisa Graff's Absolutely Almost, and John David Anderson's Posted. Engaging and highly discussion-worthy.-Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

13iamgroot - I picked up this book because I thought that the cover was really creative and I wanted to know what the book was about. This book is told in five different perspectives, so it can sometimes get confusing, but the author wrote it very well. Since there are so many perspectives you can really see how the characters change and develop throughout the book because you read about what everyone thinks about themselves but also how they see others, which makes the book very engaging. These five characters are all in the same class for 6th grade, epic gymnast Randi, football-crazy Gavin, bully on the outside Trevor, always the optimist Scott, and future lawyer Natalie. They might seem like a mismatched group of kids, but they have much in common and many potential things that could bring them closer together, in this case, the dreaded statewide assessment test. It feels like test practice is taking away all the things that these kids look forward most in school, recess, read-alouds, and even after-school programs. The kids realize that if they are going to prove how unjust the test is, then they will have to work together. Told in the perspectives of five seemingly opposite kids, this book will keep you engaged and wondering what crazy scheme will happen next. This relatable book is great for middle shoolers who like realistic humor.