Recently I reread "Because of Mr. Terupt," the first book in the series. I also decided to read for the first time volumes 2 and 3: Mr. Terupt Falls Again and Saving Mr. Terupt. The entire series is told from the perspective of seven students who have a special relationship with one another and with their favorite teacher, Mr. Terupt. They grow through the series, beginning as 5th graders and ending up as 8th graders in this volume, Goodbye, Mr. Terupt. Although the occasional pranks and gross-out middle school boy humor were not to my taste, I'm sure that many in the middle school audience would find them funny. I appreciated more the story arc of each character and how Mr. Terupt influences them for the better. His reach will be lifelong. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to its publication. I hope that it finds a wide audience and that people explore the original titles in the series as well.

I became a fan of the Mr. Terupt series when my daughter, a reluctant reader, came home from school and all she could talk about was this amazing new book she had started reading at school, Because of Mr. Terupt. The fact that she was excited about a book made me excited, so I had to jump into the series and find out for myself what the excitement was all about! I immediately grew attached to Mr. Terupt and his students!

So when we found out that another Mr. Terupt book was coming out, both my daughter and I were super excited to read this one. And we were not disappointed! In a similar fashion to the previous books, this book is written with alternating narrators as the different students take turns telling the story. This style has been so affective through the whole series at keeping the reader engaged, and I have loved learning more about these kids through their narrations.

In this book, the kids are now in 8th grade and Mr. Terupt is now their advisor. The kids are dealing with many of the stresses and difficulties that are typical in middle school, and Mr. Terupt is there to provide guidance and wisdom.

I don't know for sure, but this feels like the final book in the series. And I thought it was a very satisfying and fitting ending to a really great middle grade book series! My daughter says this is her favorite book of the series yet. I'm still a bit partial to the first book, but I agree that this was a good addition to the series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Goodbye, Mr. Terupt - by Rob Buyea is a great wrap up to the series. The seven kids who bonded in Mr. Terupt’s fifth-grade class are in eighth grade now. While Mr. Teraput isn't their teacher anymore, he is still there as their biweekly adviser. The author does a great job conveying the relationship students have with each other and their teachers who wear oh so many hats during the school year.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Wow! Tremendous ending to this four book series. The gang are now in eighth grade and readers will see reflection points to grades five to seven in the other three books. They don't have Mr. Terupt as a classroom teacher but do end up together for Advisory time with him on Fridays. Throughout the series, Buyea has continued to develop his characters and the same is true as they grow through their eighth grade year. The story weaves together as all seven tell their parts by switching narrators in every chapter. Mr. Terupt even gets to tell the final chapter and wrap the story.
I finished this one in tears as I appreciate how well Buyea has brought this group to life. Readers will feel like an eighth member of the group. It's a goodbye for them as well.

Now entering their fourth and final year with Mr. Terupt as they begin 8th Grade, these seven students who have been through so much in the previous three years with Mr. Terupt - their never-ceasing champion, advisor, is now a husband, and also a father to baby Hope.

As their adviser and champion, they have been through many life lessons with the help of his sage advice. There are many life changing issues that this tackles, cancer and diabetes, moving, some new parental ‘romance,’ babies, life on Danielle’s farm including the birth of a calf. Conflicts between these friends aren’t as quickly resolved, and learning to forgive and accept forgiveness is a theme. Babies on the way, weddings to be planned, and more health issues along with life-changing events, lessons to be learned, challenges as the school year is coming to a close, they need to learn to accept that even good things may have to end, and people you love sometimes move away. Accepting things that hurt, losing someone so fundamental to the person you hope to become at this age is a bitter pill to swallow. As the end of the school year approaches, they band together to find ways to make this year the most memorable year yet.



Pub Date: 01 Dec 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Children’s / Delacorte Books for Young Readers

This novel is what the industry refers to as realistic fiction, though I personally find stories like this as fantastical as anything in Frances Hardinge or Philip Pullman, and perhaps more so. That is not to say I haven’t enjoyed this series, which begins with seven fifth-graders, in this fourth and final volume, follows them through the eighth grade. There are things I like very much: the story is told in turns by the seven, all first-person narrators chapter by chapter. At the start of their stories, in Because of Mr. Terupt, they were sort of a junior Breakfast Club: Peter, the prankster; Jessica, the poet; Danielle, a Christian; Anna, an outcast; Luke, the brain; Jeffrey, who hates school; Alexia, the pretty bully. Stories like this appeal to a wide audience, perhaps because many readers would relate to one or more of the narrators.

The use of revolving first-person narrators is enjoyable from the very beginning of the first book, Because of Mr. Terupt, and worked well in the second and third books, as well. Unfortunately, in this book, Jessica’s sections are told in verse, except it’s not verse. It’s prose with peculiar line breaks. It’s jarring, and it’s not necessary to flesh out the character. Otherwise, the voices are distinct, Peter sounds different from Jeffrey; Jeffrey sounds different from Alexia; Alexia sounds different from Danielle.

The kids have paired off throughout the series, as kids do in middle school, and these couplings – and an uncoupling – don’t feel artificial. That being said, as a reader, as well as a reviewer, I am disappointed and disheartened by the absence of a character questioning their sexual and/or gender identity. I understand the reluctance of a cis male writer to attempt writing a trans character in first-person, but if you take any seven kids, surely one of them would question whether they were attracted to girls instead of boys, or vice versa. These are not unfamiliar concepts to middle grade students, in spite of what a conservative parent, teacher, or librarian might wish to think.

Buyea allows the reader to imagine each character, for the most part, as they choose. Physical descriptions are all but absent in this series. Danielle is called fat by Alexia in the first book, but other than that, there is little physical description, and this may be a device to allow the reader to identify with a particular character. Reading the series this year, culminating with this volume in August, 2020, however, race and racism are on my mind, and I think a writer for middle grade students does a disservice to leave race out of a story in a society where not-specified reads as white to white readers (I’m thinking of – among other things – the outcry when a Black actor was cast as Hermione Granger in Cursed Child). Diverse books are vital in a diverse society, and they are crucial if we are ever to get to a future in which white, heterosexual, abled, cisgender aren’t the default assumption when a character’s race is not specified.

I was astonished that there were fourth and fifth grade teachers who felt the content of this series was too risque for their students, and imagine these teachers must be gravely out of touch with what a typical fourth grader is aware of. One teacher mentioned that the information about periods was inappropriate for fifth graders in a world where the onset of menstruation is common among nine and ten year olds. For me, the series read as very young, and while older readers who read the previous books at 9 or 10 might enjoy the fourth book out of nostalgia or to find out what happened, it’s not a book or a series I’d buy for an older reader because it’s likely they’d feel talked down to.

The story itself – from book one through book four – is enjoyable enough that the reader gets caught up in the lives of the seven kids, as well as by what happens to Mr. Terupt. Ultimately, Goodbye, Mr. Terupt is pleasurable because it is the end of a long story about characters who are appealing and well-fleshed-out. Reading it as the fourth in a series isn’t necessary, but as a stand alone novel, it wouldn’t be nearly as successful: it’s too short to build up seven distinct narrators clearly and richly, and I think a reader who starts with Goodbye, Mr. Terupt would be less likely to be interested in Mr. Terupt and his family than one who has followed the story from the outset.

As an adult reader, I have to remind myself that I am not this book’s target audience, and some of the faults are simply not applicable to a review. That being said, Buyea did a far better job in Because of Mr. Terupt with both complexity and richness of structure, language, and story than he has in the subsequent three books; in terms of complexity, this last installment may be the weakest. A ten year old who devours Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, or Frances Hardinge’s The Lie Tree, or even Carolyn Hennessy’s Pandora series, I think would find this series a bit flat. But a ten year old who is ready to graduate from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books or the Emily Windsnap series would likely engage with Goodbye, Mr. Terupt, either on its own or as the culmination of this series.

I received an advance copy of Goodbye, Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with this series after the first book, and each subsequent title has been just as wonderful as the previous. What I enjoy the most about this series (and this book) is the way the characters grow and develop throughout it. It's a series that students can read and relate to through out their middle school years.

"The Gang" are starting their eighth grade year, their last year in the same school as Mr. Terupt. As luck would have it, they are all assigned to the same advising group, with none other than their favorite teacher, Mr. T. To make the most of their last year Luke comes up with an idea for a project, the bucket list project, to create lasting memories together.

Each character has such a distinct voice as the story alternates between the seven members of "The Gang," and their own dilemmas, struggles, and triumphs. Jeffrey and Peter still have Mr. T as a wrestling coach, and he thinks they can both make the varsity team if they work hard. Jeffrey strives for this goal at the risk of his health and his friendships. Anna feels lost and forgotten by her mom as she and Charlie focus on planning their wedding and their life together.. Danielle is learning what a challenge it can be to manage juvenile diabetes and to keep her feelings for Luke a secret. Luke is taking advance classes and trying to keep his feelings for Danielle from coming out. Alexia is terrified she may have inherited the gene that caused her mother's breast cancer, and secretly takes a DNA test to find out if she has it. Jessica's parents are trying to work things out and her dad has moved back east, she takes to writing poetry to try to express her feelings. And Peter is furious with Mr. T when he finds out he'll be moving. All in all a heartfelt conclusion to the Mr. Terupt series.

This book was so sad, but so powerful. This series has introduced me to so many characters and their ups and downs of life. I will always enjoy this book as it is such a treasure and really funny. Silliness aside, it is also very serious and talks about life for different people's viewpoints and how they're struggling. It is an amazing book and is perfect for readers ages 9-12.

So...wow. I started this series nearly 3 years ago and I absolutely loved it back then. So, when I heard about a fourth installment, naturally, I was very excited.

While there were points where I felt a kind of underwhelmed, overall I loved it. And while it’s not the best in the series (book one is pretty hard to beat) it’s probably my second favorite.

As always I loved this group of kids and loved following their stories.

PETER
Peter is as chaotic as ever in this one, never failing with his shenanigans. However, after a discovery about Mr. Terupt, he’s left feeling hurt.

JESSICA
Jessica’s dad has plans of moving back in with them, but she’s doubting he’ll keep his promise.

LUKE
For a biology project, Luke starts researching the cows on Danielle’s farm, but spending all that time with her causes him to question his feelings.

ALEXIA
In book 3, we learn Lexie’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and now Lexie’s worried for her mother — and herself.

JEFFREY
Wrestling has been a huge part of Jeffrey’s life since sixth grade, but when the need to lose weight for the team arises, he takes any measures possible to make it on the varsity team.

ANNA
Even though she was excited about her mother’s engagement in book 3, she’s feeling neglected from the shifting family dynamics. Pair that with a breakup with her boyfriend, and she’s feeling all kinds of hurt.

DANIELLE
After being diagnosed with diabetes in book 3, she’s trying really hard to be responsible with her sugars and insulin, but not everything goes as planned.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed any tears at the end.)

Perfect for fans of ABC’s BOY MEETS WORLD and Disney Channel’s ANDI MACK.

Will I be purchasing in December?

Absolutely.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of GOODBYE, MR TERUPT by Rob Buyea in exchange for my honest review.***

The fourth and hopefully not last book in the MR TERUPT series my be my favorite yet. The seven narrators has hit eighth grade and are disappointed not to have Mr Terrupt as their teacher this year. Fortunately, they’re babysitting for his daughter Hope, calling themselves The Babysitter Gang, an homage to THE BABYSITTER CLUB books.

Rob Buyea outdid himself with GOODBYE, MR TERUPT. He had me literally laughing out loud, tears streaming down my cheeks with he humor. I’m in my mid 50s and don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard at the boys’ antics. I feel sad to think there won’t be any more books in the series, but if it has to end, GOODBYE, MR TERUPT is an exclamation point at the end of wonderful sentence. I’m purposely not revealing details so readers can experience each and every moment for the first time while reading.

The girls provided the heart and soul of the story, balanced with the boys’ shenanigans GOODBYE, MR TERUPT will be a favorite of all readers. I can’t wait until I can share this book with all the kids and kids-at-heart that I know.

This is the 4th book in the series, althought I'm not sure if it will be the last one. In the first book, the kids were all 5th graders in Mr. Terupt's class. Now, they are 8th graders and face all new problems. as they wrap up their middle school experience s. Of course we can't forget Mr. Terupt, who is their advisory/homeroom teacher. If you've read the other books in the series, this one is a must-read and if this IS the last book, it provides a satisflying ending.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series so was excited for a third book. I think it had been too long since I read the other two because it was hard to follow the characters and remember the details of who they are. This is not a stand alone book and is best after reading the first two books. There are so many characters that I needed those details from the first books to keep track of what was happening and who everyone was. Students will enjoy going back to these characters and the world of Mr. Terupt.

Coming across the first Mr. Terrupt book years ago and immediately becoming a fan, there was no question I wanted to read this last book. And just like with all the others, I found myself teary-eyed more than once. The characters that continue to voice their thoughts are just as genuine and remain true to who they are in this book. Mr. Buyea does a great job of tying up all the loose ends and allowing Mr. Terrupt to take a back seat in this 8th grade journey. All kinds of family are part of this story and the friendships go through their share of ups and downs, but no one ever gives up. The style of this book where the students narrate their stories in alternating chapters is not a new device but one that the author does extremely well. The voices remained unique and were able to weave together to make the story whole with a satisfying conclusion. As a reader, I must admit I am a bit saddened to say goodbye to everyone I've grown to love, but at the same time I have the same hope they have with the promise of future meetings and hints at many moments of happily ever afters. This book does not disappoint!

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's Book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hands down, this is my favorite book of the Mr. Terupt series. While a reader may read it as a stand alone and still "get" the book, I think much would be lost. To truly appreciate the story, a reader has to understand the journey to this point of their lives. The "gang" is very different as 8th graders as compared to where they started as 5th graders at the beginning of the series. The second book was my least favorite, but still very good. I would encourage you to read the first three books before reading this final installment (maybe?). I love the dedication - dedicated to all the fans of the series that asked for a 4th book. This is still told from all the students' point of view. It begins with 8th grade. There is a special advisory period twice of week and one can assume that at Mr. Terupt's request- the students are in his advisory. This provides access to their beloved teacher, as well as, babysitting for the Terupt's first child, Hope. Jeffery and Peter continue to see him as their wrestling coach. Each individual has their issues to work through. The group dynamic goes through many changes. They learn midway in the year that the Terupt's will need to move. This is hard news for all of them- especially Peter. He gives Mr. Terupt the silent treatment- not being able to accept this turn of events. To wind down to his departure, the gang takes on projects to complete a "bucket list" to honor Mr. T. and all that he has taught them. The ending events are just perfect. I love how the author helped really draw each character's personality and life lessons learned into ways to honor their teacher. In the epilogue- we get a glimpse of Mr. Terupt's point of view. I am not sure if the author will ever write more about these characters. It ends in a way that it could be done, but if not, I think most fans of this series will be very satisfied. I would love a book told from Mr. Terupt's point of view. Fantastic series for upper elementary and younger middle schoolers. This is also a great series to read with your child- yes it is still great to read with your older children and I highly recommend that. This series will open doors to many conversations that may be difficult to start on your own with your child.

E ARC provided by Netgalley



8th grade is a challenge for everyone, and Mr. Terupt's students are sad that he is staying in 7th grade, although the seven of them do have him for advisory period. The Terupts also occasionally have all of the children babysit Hope, although the boys are less than helpful in changing diapers. The character development and the story lines we have seen previously are all maintained; Lexie is still a bit of a drama queen but genuinely concerned about her and her mother's health; Luke is still scientifically inclined but does enjoy spending time with Danielle on her family's farm; Danielle struggles with her diabetes; Peter acts out. The most interesting story is Jeffrey. An older wrestler tells him that he has a chance to wrestle at the high school level, but only if he cuts weight to get to 113 from 120, and this negatively affects his health. This is a huge issue in school age wrestling, and I would still love Buyea to write an entire book about the sport. A spoiler here, but one that should be welcome: Mr. Terupt is NOT dying; he and his wife are moving, so the students create a time capsule and a bucket list to deal with this separation, even though they would be going to high school anyway.

This is a fine conclusion (although we can't be sure) to the series that includes Because of Mr. Terupt (2011), Mr. Terupt Falls Again (2012), and Saving Mr. Terupt (2015). I've just never been able to buy in to the idea that the students are that connected to Mr. Terupt. I'll probably purchase in order to complete the series, but I would still prefer stand alones from Mr. Buyea, preferably about wrestling! I think school stories are more popular with elementary readers, although there is an attempt to address the interest in romances in this installment.

It was great to return to "the gang" who, along with their favorite teacher, Mr. Terupt, have been together since 5th grade. I missed reading book #3, so it took a bit to catch up with the characters and what had happened during their 7th grade year. One thing I liked: there was both growth in the characters, but also consistency. I especially like how Danielle's faith is portrayed positively as a natural, everyday part of who she is. Buyea manages to capture the transitional nature of middle school perfectly. Because it follows the school year, there's a somewhat predictable feel to the book, and because it does seem to be the last in the series, there is a sense that everything had to wrap up quite neatly. Still, highly recommended. It's great to send the gang on to high school with a sense of joy and hope in the future in spite of changes.

Review based on an e-galley received through NetGalley.

3-1/2 stars

This is the fourth and (final?) book of the series. The gang is now in 8th grade, with Mr. Terupt as their advising teacher (what we used to call homeroom). There have been lots of changes since the first book, Mr. Terupt is now married with a child, Anna's mother is engaged to Danielle's brother, and more changes are coming. The gang is very upset to learn that Mr. Terupt is moving, and one in particular has a harder time dealing with it.

This seems like a fitting way to end the series, and shows average kids dealing with realistic situations, and is both humorous and heartfelt. Though one could read this as a stand-alone, it really is better to have read the whole series, or at least the first book, to know the whole history of the gang and their relationships. The story is narrated in first person by each of the five kids in alternating chapters, and some readers might find the constantly changing POV problematic. As an adult, I find it a bit superficial and sugar-coated, as kids that age often have very deep and complicated feelings with much more angst and drama and acting out, and are rarely resolved quite so easily, so I do wonder if actual 8th graders would find it relatable.

The first book of the series, Because of Mr. Terupt, is on many school reading lists, and I would recommend this book to those who have read and enjoyed the first.

The Mr. Terupt series is one of my favorite middle grade series so all time. Buyea brings Mr. Terupt and the gang back for a fourth novel. The students are in 8th grade now and still as inspiring as ever!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The fourth installment of Mr. Terupt’s gang, this book starts off as the seven friends head into eighth grade. Lots of changes are on the horizon, and as usual, so much happens in a year.

I enjoyed the fourth book in this series. I’ve liked all of them and if this is the last in the series, it ended in a way that will satisfy its readers. All seven kids struggle and triumph in this iteration and I think it’s a great way to close out their middle school years.

In this 4th (and final?) book featuring Mr. Terupt and the 7 students who bonded in his 5th grade class, many loose ends are tied up nicely. While the students are finishing middle school, there isn't anything in it that would make it inappropriate for upper elementary students who want to read through the entire series. Each of the students faces his or her own issues, realizes that it is better to ask for help from friends and family, and learns that we are always stronger together. Readers will enjoy seeing their favorite characters go through another year of middle school. Recommended for grades 5 & up. Must read series in order.