Charlie Bumpers vs. the Teacher of the Year
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, KYα(c) Copyright 2013.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.