Our fourth, fifth, and sixth graders have been reading some of the nominees for this year’s Massachusetts Children’s Book Award. By this time of the year, there is a buzz among readers as they recommend specific titles to each other. One of the books that many have enjoyed is Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea (Delacorte). The chapters of the novel are told through the voices of different students, and readers gain insight into an event through different perspectives. A review in Booklist described Mr. Terupt, the protagonist of the novel as one of those teachers “who encourage their students to think for themselves, question the conventions they understand about school, and become better people.”

How exciting it must be for the students who have the author, Rob Buyea, as a teacher. Rob taught elementary school in Connecticut before he moved to Massachusetts where he currently teaches at Northfield Mount Hermon School. In the following video, Rob is interviewed by John Irving about his writing.