Charlie Bumpers vs. the Teacher of the Year

July 29, 2013
Charlie’s fourth-grade year is off to a rocky start. He’s dismayed to learn that his teacher is Mrs. Burke, whom he accidentally hit in the head with a shoe the year before (“I’m glad to see you’re wearing both of your shoes,” she quips on the first day of school). Charlie has the best intentions and the worst luck, a combination that tends to land him in trouble; the playground becomes littered with toilet paper after he uses a roll to create the finish line for a race, and his sneaker gets stuck on the roof after he throws it up there to retrieve a soccer ball. The swift-paced story is powered by peppy repartee between Charlie and the people in his life, as well as his droll internal monologue (including his repeated observation, “Trick question! No good answer!”). Charlie’s kindness to a new classmate from Chile and his growing appreciation of Mrs. Burke supplements the comedy. Dynamic and skillfully drafted ink-and-watercolor spot illustrations from Gustavson, who illustrated Harley’s Lost and Found, help chronicle the hijinks. Ages 7–10. Illustrator’s agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary.

September 1, 2013
Charlie Bumpers is doomed. The one teacher he never wanted in the whole school turns out to be his fourth-grade teacher. Charlie recalls third grade, when he accidentally hit the scariest teacher in the whole school with his sneaker. "I know all about you, Charlie Bumpers," she says menacingly on the first day of fourth grade. Now, in addition to all the hardships of starting school, he has gotten off on the wrong foot with her. Charlie's dry and dramatic narrative voice clearly reveals the inner life of a 9-year-old--the glass is always half empty, especially in light of a series of well-intentioned events gone awry. It's quite a litany: "Hitting Mrs. Burke in the head with the sneaker. The messy desk. The swinging on the door. The toilet paper. And now this--the shoe on the roof." Harley has teamed once again with illustrator Gustavson (Lost and Found, 2012) to create a real-life world in which a likable kid must face the everyday terrors of childhood: enormous bullies, looming teachers and thick gym coaches with huge pointing fingers. Into this series opener, Harley magically weaves the simple lesson that people, even teachers, can surprise you. Readers will be waiting to see how Charlie faces his next challenge in a series that marks a lovely change of pace from the sarcasm of Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 7-10)

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September 1, 2013

Gr 2-4-When Charlie finds out that his fourth-grade teacher will be Mrs. Burke, Teacher of the Year, he knows that he's in trouble. The previous year, he accidentally hit her in the head with a shoe. He is also a disorganized mess and she is notoriously orderly. Throughout a rough couple of first weeks of school, Charlie struggles to be more organized and to get along with Mrs. Burke. He befriends Hector, a new student from Chile, and is annoyed by know-it-all Samantha Grunsky. While Charlie seems incapable of avoiding mishaps, he also has some very good qualities, like helpfulness, which will have readers cheering him on. The final conversation with Mrs. Burke includes an explanation of her "dry sense of humor," which is a little awkward, but otherwise this is a fast-paced, enjoyable first entry in a new chapter-book series. It's a good choice for those who have finished Andrew Clements's "Jake Drake" books (S & S).-Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY

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