"Sometimes people need to leave, maybe forget or get lost for a while, but they can still find their way home."

This was such a fun conclusion to the series I fell in love with several years ago. The gang is all back and this time they're in 8th grade. They know this is their last year with Mr. T before they move on to high school. Luke is conducting a new research project about cows and finds more than what he bargained for in spending time with Danielle. Peter is up to his usual shenanigans but finds he's turning over a new leaf this year. Jeffery wants to make the varsity wrestling team and goes to extreme lengths to get there. Danielle is facing more responsibility with her new insulin pump and figuring out what these feelings for Luke mean. Anna is not sure how to adjust to the fact her mom is spending time with her husband and not just her. Alexia wants to know if she also has the gene that may result in breast cancer. She steals a DNA test but can't face the results when they finally come in. And finally, Jessica spends the year writing poetry and gearing up for a poetry slam.

While I know this is the last book in the series, part of me would love to know what the gang gets up to in high school. How do they adjust to their new responsibilities? What is in store for them post grad? Do they keep in touch with Mr. Terupt? I know the point of ending a series is that the future is open for them, but these characters have wormed their way into my heart and I want to know for certain what happens to each of them. This was such a delightful ending to the series and I loved seeing how the gang worked in each of their bucket list items when they found out this was going to be their last year with Mr. Terupt, whether they wanted it to be or not. As always, Rob Buyea did a fantastic job addressing a variety of tough subjects and making sure each of the characters went through their own story arc. This is a series I will continue to recommend to my students for years to come.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

TW: cancer (in the past), diabetes, grief, eating disorder

So, everything is different now. I loved this book, I thought it was an epic conclusion to this series (Besides not having an epilogue of their future lives, I really wanted that, but it was still a really, really good book). Buyea brought the new ideas and relationships in very well, while still keeping true to the heart of the original story. I would like to say that all of my beloved characters were well represented. I was also able to see this as a conclusion, the ending was wonderful.I wish their was some kind of story about their future lives together but, I think he set it up perfectly for something like that(maybe a novella or kindle only story) to happen.

Peter, Jeffrey, Anna, Luke, Lexie and Danielle are faced many challenges through their eight grade year. Genetic tests, fundraisers, wrestling and relationships. They may grow apart but, they will always come back together.Especially when they have to say goodbye to Mr. Terupt for the final time.


I would say that you really have to read the other books to understand this one. I also wanted to say that this story has grown with its audience and has more young teen themes. A wonderful story and a heartwarming, bittersweet ending to the story of teach and his six favorite students. (Yes, they are his favorites, and I'm not sorry to admit it)

Wow. As someone who grew up with Boy Meets World and held all my teachers to Mr. Feeny-level standards, this book makes me smile. As a 5th grade teacher, I read the first in this series to my class every year and then encourage the students to finish the series, which many do independently. When I received book #4, several years after book 3 was released, I was worried that this wouldn't hold up to the same level of love that the other three books had. This book was just as good as the others. I loved it and cannot wait to add it to my classroom with the other three in the series. If I can enjoy this book as an adult, I am confident that my students will love it as well. The boys' shenanigans (love that word in 5th grade) made me laugh out loud. The girls' growth over the four books is writing at its absolute best for middle grades.


I received an advance copy; all thoughts are my own.

This book had me almost in tears at the end. I truly love the book. I could read it over and over again. Thanks Rob Buyea for such a great book.

they are in 8th grade. Initially the plot was event driven but by the end of this book I realized they were all demonstrating the lessons that Mr. Terupt had instilled in them since the beginning. The most important lesson was to always strive to do something bigger than themselves, and their bucket list in honor of Mr. Terupt does just that. Chapters are told in first person with characters alternating chapters. I will miss all of them. Poetess Jessica is always in verse, and is trying to reconcile her dad's return. Friends Anna and diabetic Danielle are now sisters and Lexie shines as the opinionated drama queen and “go to person for fashion advice. Wrestlers Jeremy and Peter, with Peter being the outspoken prankster, adjust to being on the high school team and Luke is the consistently logical scientist. 8th grade is the end of the road and I recommend a large box of kleenex.

Rob Buyea does it again!! Twists and turns to keep you guessing and engaging story lines to keep you turning the page, laughing and crying all the way to the end. I’m sad to see this series end, but I thank the author for closure. Perfect ending.

Oh my. Rob Buyea does it again. I’ve loved following Mr. Terupt and the seven students (Jeffrey, Luke, Peter, Alexia, Anna, Jessica, and Danielle) from his old fifth grade class through books #1 to #3. There was a little bit of concern that this story might not be as meaningful, but those fears were completely unnecessary. In this book, the kids are in 8th grade while Mr. Terupt is still back in 7th grade, but they still get to see him for their advisory period and he’s still involved with the wrestlers. The book begins with the seven students learning that Mr. Terupt is moving away to be closer to his wife’s family. This is a shock to everyone. So to cope with the separation, they do two things: (1) create a time capsule to open at the end of the school year, and (2) they create a bucket list of things to do before he’s gone.

While the character development in the previous three books was really good, I felt like I truly got to know each of these students, deeply, in this final(?) book. There’s a great deal of focus on Jeffrey who is attempting to lower his weight to join the high school wrestling team. His emotions are all over the place, for that reason. And he will have some regrets to face before the end of this book. Peter is angry from the moment he finds out Mr. Terupt is leaving. Like, over the top angry. So that was difficult to witness without just wanting to shake him up. Luke is such a wonderful scientist. His fascination with learning is inspiring and a joy to witness. Danielle has a lot to deal with due to managing her diabetes, but she also shows some romantic interest for the first time in the series. Anna is navigating feelings about her relationship with her mom, feeling unimportant in the midst of change. I think Lexie matures the most in this one. She’s always been rather dramatic and in this book she is completely invested in her mom’s illness while also facing the possibility that she carries the gene that will make her ill one day. And finally, Jessica seems quite mature for her age. Always attempting to keep up group morale while navigating her parent’s potentially mended relationship.

I could not get over the number of hilarious scenes, so masterfully written to make me laugh out loud — from experiences with a breast milk pump to a final surprise gift left for Mr. Terupt, from Peter. Yet tears were inevitable. I think the height of my emotions came during a bucket list project where students raise funds by agreeing to have their heads shaved. It was incredibly moving to see the selflessness, maturity, and bravery these students displayed for no other reason than love and empathy.

While I’m not certain that this is the conclusion to this series, it would certainly be a good one. Everything ended on a high note with a mixture of laughter, tears, and hope in those final pages. There was that lingering feeling that Mr. Terupt has been there for us all over the years — steady, strong, patient, and kind. Now I’m super excited for Buyea’s next middle grade novel, What Comes Next, coming out June 2021.

My thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with an e-ARC so that I could share my honest review. Goodbye, Mr. Terupt is available now in bookstores, everywhere.

As a teacher who uses the first book in this series as a read aloud for character's perspective, I was so excited to find out a fourth book was coming out. Told from the perspective of seven children, we now see the different battles they are fighting in their personal lives. They rely on Mr. Terupt for guidance through these middle school challenges. It was a great way to end the series.

I've enjoyed all of the other books in this series, so it's no surprise that I liked this one as well. It's not hard to follow the chapters, even though they bounce between a bunch of different character's POV. The only thing I don't really care for is how many chapters have a minor cliffhanger. It's just unnecessary to have that many! It got to the point of being irritating. However, it was a good conclusion to the Mr. Terupt series.

I need to preface this review by saying that I know I am not the target audience for this book. First, I am an adult. Although I do typically enjoy reading middle-grade books. Second, I didn't read the first three books. I did look up a synopsis of each book prior to reading this one, however, so I got the basic idea of the storyline. So that being said, I didn't come into reading this with an absolute love of this series like many other reviewers. And in the end, I just didn't like it.

Each chapter took turns of being told from the perspective of a different character. It seems like that is the latest "in thing" to do in books now. The author did do a good job of making each voice sound different in the writing style. But overall, I don't think I liked this way of writing for this book. It seemed like each chapter wanted to end with some serious foreshadowing, but I don't feel like those endings really got resolved or even dealt with in some cases. They just seemed overly dramatic. Which, I guess, for middle schoolers, could be appropriate at times. I thought the relationship between Mr. Terupt and the students was a little over the top.

I didn't find the storyline to be all that believable. The social skills of the characters seemed appropriate, but a lot of the actions seemed too old for middle schoolers. I felt it was unrealistic that they would have been able to put together the large bucket list events that they did in such a short time.

My review aside, I'm sure fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment, as they would be much more invested in the characters and probably be able to relate to them better than I was.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Goodbye, Mr. Terupt
by Rob Buyea
Random House Children's
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade
Pub Date 01 Dec 2020



I am reviewing a copy of Goodbye Mr. Terupt through Random House Children’s/Delacorte Boops for Young Readers and Netgalley:



Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Jefferey, Luke and Peter are all happy to have their beloved teacher, Mr. Terupt, back for the school year as their biweekly adviser. They rely on him for guidance through so many things.



Jefferey is determined to make the Varsity Wrestling Team. Alexia takes a DNA test because she’s worried that she may have the same cancer gene as her Mom, but when the results come in she’s afraid to open it. Anna whose feeling abandoned by her soon to be married Mom and neglected by Jefferey’s callous brush off, Anna keeps things bottled inside until she can no longer hold it in. Danielle has ups and downs when it comes to dealing with her diabetes but it’s the romance that’s budding between her and Luke that seems to be the bigger issue. Luke is tackling a lot of challenging school work but none of it is harder than letting Danielle know how he feels about her. Jessica is anxious about her Dad’s return so she pours her heart into writing poetry. And Peter is angry at Mr Terupt for what he sees as betrayal so he ends up giving Mr Terupt the silent treatment.






In order to celebrate the time they have remaining with Mr Terupt the students hatch bucket-list type projects to make the school year important, memorable, and way bigger than just the group. Will the gang be able to stick together through the final project? Will their friendships endure even after facing a difficult goodbye?



I give Goodbye Mr Terupt five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

4.5 stars - Loved it! Would re-read.

This was a DELIGHTFUL wrap up of this terrific series. It has been literally years since I read the first three books in the series, but it was easy to step back into these characters and these relationships. I think newcomers could start here, but some of the magic won't be there because of a lack of history with the characters. If you can, read these in order.

There's a lot going on here - most of the kids are dealing with issues in their personal lives, the couples in the group have their ups and downs, and then they are all dealing with Mr. Terupt's news and the impact of that. Middle school issues - dating, health, friendships, break ups, a potential eating disorder, varsity sports, etc. - might appeal more to the kids at the upper end of the middle grade range. There were several hilarious moments and even more that left me in tears. For me this was the perfect send off for these characters. Fans of this series should not miss this last hurrah with these characters. Newcomers should check out the whole series - it's fantastic! (TW: Eating disorder, cancer in remission)

This book was everything I wanted except for one thing: it’s probably my end with the wonderful gang of Peter, Jessica, Lexie, Danielle, Luke, Jeffery, and of course Mr Terupt. I first cried on the third page, continuing to let out gut wrenching sobs until the last page. I love these kiddos and their teacher so very much.😭

I listened to the audiobook of Because of Mr. Terupt and didn't really care for it so I'm not really sure why I signed up for an advance reading copy of the fourth book in the series, Goodbye, Mr. Terupt, but I'm sure glad that I did.
7 students have been with their favorite teacher, Mr. Terupt, in some capacity for the past several years. This year he is serving as their advisor in their final year of junior high. The kids are all looking forward to working with him on a year-long project. About halfway through the year, they learn that he will be moving at the end of the school year and they are devastated. They all handle it a little differently which is a great way for kids to explore the various ways in which we deal with grief and loss. Ultimately, "the gang" pulls together to give their beloved teacher a wonderful send-off.

This was a quick and fun read. While it was a little difficult for me to keep all of the characters straight, I think if I would have read all of the other books in the series, they would have all been like old friends to me and I would have had no trouble remembering who was who. This would be a great book for a teacher to use when studying character traits as all of the students had distinct personalities. I enjoyed this book so much that I plan to re-read the original book to see if I enjoy it more than I did in audio format. I also plan to read the second and third books in the series.

For kids who enjoyed the first books, this last installment could be a satisfying wrap-up. As a teacher, I was questioning whether or not I would hand this book to my elementary students. The characters have spent four years with Mr. Terupt and are now in eighth grade. Some of their behavior and antics felt annoying to me as a reader and I had a hard time getting into the story in a way I had with the first books in the series. I stuck with the book, and I’m glad I did, as the end felt better than the beginning and left me more satisfied. If you enjoyed the series and the characters so far, give it a try.

This was a great book for people who have read the series. I have read all of the Terupt books, so it was a nice continuation as the kids get older.

I think I would've liked this better if I had read more of the books in the series. I have read book 1 but not 2 & 3. I felt like I was missing some pieces of the story.

However, I think if readers have read the whole series, this is a great addition. The characters are very fleshed out and the relationships are warm and loving.

I would recommend this to readers who have read the other 3 in the series.

While I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for a review (via netgalley and the publisher), all opinions remain my own.

This book is about a group of seven eighth graders, already a "gang" of their own, along with their advisor Mr Terupt and their journey through the 8th grade. When they find out that Mr T is moving, one of them comes up with a brilliant plan to make 8th grade an even more unforgettable year.

I found this story to be uplifting and honest. When you are a kid in 8th grade, there are a lot of feelings going around (believe me, I have both a 7th and 9th grade girl at home!) There are so many things to deal with, this book touched on them quite nicely. While there were a few things that I feel were skimmed over that would have taken more planning then the book showed, it was overall pretty good.

It for sure made me want to read the previous two books. Four solid stars.

I have followed this series from the beginning and was disappointed in this last one. There are topics presented in this book that we do not see often presented in fiction titles. I was really excited for this, but was disappointed when they were not addressed more. The kids did not have much character growth in this one.

My 12 year old’s review:

I didn’t read the first book so I felt like the characters weren’t well-introduced. Fast pace was good because things were happening all the time but at times felt like information was left out.
The friendships were realistic. Some friends didn’t know everything about the other friends, but they were all able to work together well. Just like in real life group projects, one character would think up an idea and the rest of the group would help execute it.
I liked that when one character had a problem or a cause, all the friends supported them - like shaving their heads and jumping in a lake in the middle of winter.
This is a good book for ages 10 and up.