Charlie Bumpers vs. the Teacher of the Year
by Bill Harley (Author) Adam Gustavson (Illustrator)
Shortly before school starts, Charlie Bumpers learns that he will be in Mrs. Burke's class. It doesn't matter that she's been named Teacher of the Year. He's still afraid of her. Last year when he was horsing around in the hall, he accidentally hit her in the head with his sneaker (don't ask). The exasperated teacher declared that if anything like that ever happened again, Charlie would be banned from recess forever. How will he survive a year under a teacher who is just waiting for him to make another stupid mistake?
This fun series for young readers from Grammy award-winning author, Bill Harley uses humor to illuminate important values such as tolerance, helpfulness, kindness, and making the best of a bad situation.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Publishers Weekly
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. (Sept.)
Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
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
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Harley was called the Mark Twain of contemporary children's music by Entertainment Weekly. He lives in Massachusetts.
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
Behavior
Families
Family life
Schools
Teachers
Conduct of life
Humorous fiction
Orderliness
