The Unteachables
Welcome to Room 117. Welcome to the worst class in school, which is exactly where Kiana finds herself. The funny thing is, she’s not actually a student at this school! She’s hoping that in a week or two, she’ll be able to go back home, to her real school and her real friends. But things don’t go quite as she planned.
Mr. Kermit used to be a great teacher, but when he takes the fall for a school-wide cheating scandal, his confidence and motivation takes a major hit. He’s basically a glorified babysitter now. All he needs to do is make it to the end of this school year, and he can retire and live off of his pension. Unfortunately, the school superintendent has other ideas for Mr. Kermit.
In a classroom full of students who don’t want to learn, and a teacher who no longer wants to teach, it seems like all they need to do is stay out of each others’ way. But, thanks to a young teacher in the classroom next door and a car salesman whose past encourages him to take an interest in Mr. Kermit’s situation, things take a turn that neither the students nor teacher would have expected.
I read this book aloud to the kids back in September of 2020. I think it’s safe to say that we all enjoyed it. We were entering a school year that essentially was forcing us to homeschool due to the pandemic. The kids didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to do it. It felt like the kids were the unteachables, and I was Mr. Kermit (coffee cup and all). Although our situation was less than perfect, it was fun to read about kids who were struggling with their school situation too. I guess you could say that it helped us feel a little better.
This is a great middle-grade read that the whole family will enjoy.
David Sheley 