Saving Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Author:Rob Buyea [Buyea, Rob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-07-14T00:00:00+00:00

LUKE’S SEVENTH-GRADE SURVIVAL GUIDE

TIP #11 (courtesy of Mr. Terupt): Budgets are important.

Dear Journal,

Stories and books provide me comfort—and so does Mr. Terupt. During our first Thursday afternoon with him, he had us sharing stories with his sixth graders. Luke was a main character in my tale about our Westing Game competition. And then for our second afternoon meeting he had Lexie and me join a literature circle with two girls and two boys (Suzi, Olivia, Jarrod, and Seth) who were in the middle of reading The School Story by Andrew Clements.

Lexie and I were familiar with literature circles from our days with Mr. Terupt, and this book was one I had read when I was in fourth grade and still living in California. It was one of the titles Dad had given me because the plot twist had to do with writing and acting.

“This is a good book,” I said, sitting down with the group.

“You read it?” Jarrod asked.

“There aren’t many books that Jessica hasn’t read,” Lexie said, plopping down across from me.

“I read it a while ago, so I don’t remember everything about it,” I said, “but I know I liked it.”

“We like it, too,” Olivia said.

“So how far into the story are you guys?” Lexie asked, thumbing through the pages of the copy Mr. Terupt had loaned her.

With ease, we began a conversation about the book. Initially, I listened to what the sixth graders had to say, only adding a comment occasionally. They were insightful readers with lots of thinking recorded in their journals; they had plenty to share, and as their discussion moved along, I was struck by a thought.

“Have you ever pretended to be someone you weren’t?” I asked them. “Like Natalie does in this book?”

As soon as those words left my mouth the unimaginable popped into my head. I don’t even recall what the sixth graders had to say because Lexie and I locked eyes, and I knew she was thinking the same thing. I never thought I’d say great minds think alike when referring to the two of us, but that was exactly what had occurred in that moment. Besides, when it came to these sorts of wild ideas, Lexie was the expert. Having the same thoughts as her meant I’d just conjured up something truly crazy and dangerous.

The School Story was a bit easier than the novels I’m reading nowadays, but it spoke to me in a way that books always seem to in Mr. Terupt’s presence.

When I sat down to do my homework later that night, I found a different book resting inside my backpack. Mr. Terupt had placed The Giver in there when I wasn’t looking, along with a note.

Dear Jessica,

Here’s an important story. I chose it because it’s good timing. Pain, suffering, and struggle are all a part of life, and it’s because of them we can find celebration in what we have. We have choice, and sometimes we get to choose how things end.

With a dangerous

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