Benny and the No-Good Teacher - Hardcover

Grade 3-5-- Benny is looking forward to fourth grade with Ms. Jackson: `` `She does really wild things. Last year, her whole class cooked a Chinese dinner, and raised a nest of duck eggs, and made a bug collection.' '' Instead, though, he gets stuck with Mrs. Rumpbill, whose idea of a good time is doing aerobics with her class at recess. To make matters worse, he dislikes all the kids in her class. In a hare-brained effort to get transferred out of her class and (he hopes) into Ms. Jackson's, Benny starts acting up. Predicatably, he succeeds only in antagonizing both teachers. A heart-to-heart chat with Mrs. R. leads to a truce and a predictable (if not totally believable) happy ending. Empathy, the book's major theme, is reinforced in an occasionally heavy-handed manner, although the message is a laudable one. Benny's escapades should interest even reluctant readers, who may identify closely with his situation. --Ruth Smith, formerly at Chicago Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.