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Summary
Summary
A hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and bestselling author Gordon Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher--perfect for fans of Ms. Bixby's Last Day. A good choice for summer reading or anytime!
The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Like Aldo, with anger management issues; Parker, who can't read; Kiana, who doesn't even belong in the class--or any class; and Elaine (rhymes with pain). The Unteachables have been removed from the student body and isolated in room 117.
Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement. But the superintendent has his own plans to torpedo that idea--and it involves assigning Mr. Kermit to the Unteachables.
The Unteachables never thought they'd find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction--and maybe even a shot at redemption.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-When Mr. Zachary Kermit, a burnt-out teacher nearing early retirement, is assigned to teach Greenwich Middle School's most challenging students, he's unfazed. However, once Mr. Kermit and his class of so-called "Unteachables" discover their mutual frustration with the education system, they start striving to do better on each other's behalf. Korman keeps this twist on the "inspiring teacher" trope moving at a breezy clip by dividing the first-person narration between five students, Mr. Kermit, and assorted other adults. Though many of the characterizations are slight, and the adult points-of-view serve mainly to advance the plot, the student perspectives ring true. And while their circumstances sometimes strain credulity (it's tough to believe that an unregistered student could escape notice for months), the students' antics-which include a daring vuvuzela heist and a disastrous science fair stunt-are both endearing and entertaining. VERDICT Despite some missteps, this crowd-pleasing school story delivers the straightforward humor and warmth that Korman's many fans expect.-Rebecca Honeycutt, NoveList, Durham, NC © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Mr. Kermit was once among the best teachers at Greenwich Middle School, but a cheating scandal 25 years ago dampened his passion for the job, and now he is biding time until his early retirement. After the superintendent assigns him to the "Self-Contained Special Eighth-Grade Class"-widely called "the Unteachables"-he resigns himself to getting through the year, transferring his coffee and crossword habit to the new room, and ignoring his new students. The small class is known for being troublesome: Parker can't make sense of letters, tough Elaine terrifies the others, Rahim sleeps all the time, and Kiana ends up in the class when her stepmother fails to register her for school. After Mr. Kermit's former fiancAce's daughter turns out to be the new teacher next door and meddles with disciplining the bunch, Mr. Kermit stands up for the kids, and both students and teacher realize the value of their abilities. Chapters rotate narration between students and administrators, giving varied perspectives to this humorous classroom underdog story that champions teamwork, kindness, and hidden sparks. Ages 8-12. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown Ltd. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
An isolated class of misfits and a teacher on the edge of retirement are paired together for a year of (supposed) failure.Zachary Kermit, a 55-year-old teacher, has been haunted for the last 27 years by a student cheating scandal that has earned him the derision of his colleagues and killed his teaching spirit. So when he is assigned to teach the Self-Contained Special Eighth-Grade Classa dumping ground for "the Unteachables," students with "behavior issues, learning problems, juvenile delinquents"he is unfazed, as he is only a year away from early retirement. His relationship with his seven studentsdiverse in temperament, circumstance, and abilitywill be one of "uncomfortable roommates" until June. But when Mr. Kermit unexpectedly stands up for a student, the kids of SCS-8 notice his sense of "justice and fairness." Mr. Kermit finds he may even care a little about them, and they start to care back in their own way, turning a corner and bringing along a few ghosts from Mr. Kermit's past. Writing in the alternating voices of Mr. Kermit, most of his students, and two administrators, Korman spins a narrative of redemption and belief in exceeding self-expectations. Naming conventions indicate characters of different ethnic backgrounds, but the book subscribes to a white default. The two students who do not narrate may be students of color, and their characterizations subtlythough arguably inadequatelydemonstrate the danger of preconceptions.Funny and endearing, though incomplete characterizations provoke questions. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Kiana, a bright kid whose mother ships her off to spend a couple of months with Dad and Stepmonster, never exactly registers as a student at her new middle school. But she allows the hand of fate to nudge her into the special, self-contained eighth-grade class (aka the Unteachables), along with six misfits that the school has given up on. Make that seven why exclude Mr. Kermit? Framed during a cheating scandal two decades ago and publicly humiliated, this once-gifted, now-jaded teacher is slouching toward retirement. After he unknowingly wins his students' loyalty, their efforts and far-reaching results on his behalf surprise everyone. The first-person narration shifts among a number of quickly sketched but vivid characters, from Kiana and her classmates to their teacher, principal, and nefarious superintendent. When the Unteachables go into action, outlandish situations tend to work out for the best, while offering the occasional disaster and plenty of laughs along the way. Korman's latest delivers what his fans have come to expect: a well-paced story laced with humor and just as much heart.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2018 Booklist
