Member Reviews
A fun middle grade scifi novel. Students at Brightling Middle School are in for the shock of their lives when the new seventh grade teacher, Mr. Aidact shows up. He quickly becomes everyone's favorite teacher, but something strange is definitely going on here. He has lightning fast reflexes and seems to know literally everything. Students Oliver and Nathan are determined to solve the mystery of Mr. Aidact. Things don't turn out as expected when the secret is revealed, however.
This was such a fun read. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives that we get throughout the story. The story has both heart and humor. I think middle schoolers will greatly enjoy this romp.
While this isn't the most mind-blowing book, it's a solid read for the middle grade set. It does encourage us to think about the relationship between student and teacher and what makes a good educator. The pacing is pretty spot on, balancing action and moments of reflection. It has some interesting speculation about technology and our potential reaction to A.I. which might inspire discussion among young readers. It never digs too deeply into the messaging or into character development but this isn't terribly uncommon in middle grade fiction.
The Superteacher Project is the new novel from acclaimed author Gordon Korman. Set in a middle school with chapters alternating from the point of view of multiple middle school students, teachers, and administrators, Korman’s book focuses on what happens when a government agency decides to use a middle school as a pilot program for its new project: a robot teacher who resembles a human being. The only problem is this information is kept from everyone except the principal and the school’s teachers. When students and parents find out what is going on, the main question posed is “When does a machine start to be a real person?”
Korman manages to hook the reader immediately by introducing Oliver, the “number one rule-wrecker”, self-proclaimed professional spitballer, and all around seventh-grade troublemaker bent on embarrassing his new teacher on the first day of school by producing the “near perfect sphere”. (Anyone who has been a parent, a new teacher, or a substitute teacher for that matter can no doubt relate to teenagers such as Oliver.) The only problem is, the new teacher, Mr. Aidact, manages to intercept the spitball even though he is facing away from the class, stunning not only Oliver, but the rest of the class as well. The reader immediately gets a sense that there is more than meets the eye with the new teacher. While it doesn’t take too long for the reader to figure out just who (or what) Mr. Aidact is, the fun part of the book is riding along the coattails of Oliver and some of the other middle schoolers as they come to respect, and perhaps save, Mr. Aidact’s “life”.
This novel is humorous, but also has some heart to it as the reader can not only relate to the students, teachers, and parents, but they will also feel sorry for Mr. Aidact. Middle schoolers will enjoy reading some of Oliver’s antics and may even look at their teachers a little differently! But this book isn’t just for teens. Adults will also find this book enjoyable as well, as Korman has a knack for being able to write authentic dialog and create situations that are believable for both kids and adults alike. The climax of the book has students pulling together for a common cause: to outwit the U.S. Government! And don’t for one minute think that’s the end of the story: be sure to stay for that last chapter.
This novel is another best-seller for Korman and should be on every public library’s and middle school library’s shelf, as readers will want to be the first to grab this book off the shelf.
This was a really fun YA read about a middle school teacher who was really AI. I teach middle school, and so much of this book resonated with me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another 5 star read from one of my favorite authors. I love the humor and life lessons that Gordon Korman puts in his middle grade books. And they're always clean and highly entertaining.
I don't want to spoil anything for this book, because (side note:*don't read goodreads description because it totally gives a major plot point away). And I want you to have a fun time reading it.
There's a new school teacher in town. He's a by the book, know-it-all teacher that everyone seems to, love?
You will fall in love with all of these fun loving characters, and the ending was exactly what I was looking for.
Olive is known for being the prankster around Brightling Middle School, that is until his newest teacher, Mr. Aidact arrives. This new, young teacher is always spoiling Oliver's fun. Soon Mr. Aidact has all the students enamored with is knowledge and quick wit, but Oliver isn't fooled. He knows something isn't quite right with Mr. Aidact and his elderly teaching assistant. Can Oliver and his best friend, Nathan uncover the truth?
Another wonderful middle grade read from Korman! It does not disappoint!
The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman is another stellar hit from this prolific and kid-favorite author. When the new teacher at school is a little too good at his job and a little too happy to lend a hand, a group of middle school students decide to get to the bottom of things and sleuth out the truth.
Full of heart and middle school hijinks, this book is sure to delight any 3-7th grade readers.
Gordon Korman never disappoints. The Superteacher Project is a fun middle grave novel about an AI robot teacher that no one really knows about. Each chapter is told from the view point of a different character. Absolutely loved this one!
The Superteacher Project is a fun book about a group of middle schools students who have all the range of behaviors and interests of any middle school students, and their teacher, who is decidedly not normal. There is something truly different about Mr. Aidact - but no one is quite sure just what it is.
Written from multiple perspectives, mostly students but also a few adults, this novel is an entertaining one, starting with a pair of 7th grade boys and some middle school pranks. But their usual pranks go awry when their new teacher catches them at it, with skills they've never seen from a teacher before. Mr. Aidact is a new teacher at their school, and quickly becomes a favorite with students and staff. No one is quite sure what it is that makes him different from the rest of the staff, but whatever it is makes him a great teacher. Recommended for middle school to adult.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m already a big fan of Gordon Korman, so I was excited to read this anyway. Mr. Aidact is an AI experiment working as a teacher, but the students (and parents) don’t know it. I love how “he” grows to be more human as he adapts to his middle school surroundings. So funny but also sweet!
My students and I really enjoyed The Superteacher Project! There were a lot of good conversations that stemmed from reading this book, as well as some funny new jokes for our class. Mr. Adact is a teacher everyone will love!
I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.
This novel for middle school kids investigates the possibilities of artificial intelligence. While it is a humorous look at a "super teacher" who turns out to be an artificial intelligence being, the book tackles some serious topics of the uses of AI and how those who are different can or cannot fit into society. Themes of this book include inclusion and diversity, discrimination, fear of those who are different, and the triumph of kindness over fear.
I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The ideas expressed here are entirely my own.
The Superteacher Project, written by Gordon Korman, is a great book for middle-grade students. This story is about how a bunch of children navigates and find out the mystery that their new teacher is an AI robot. The characters were fun, the plot was intriguing, and I would definitely recommend the book to a classroom library, school library, or public library. Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC.
Gordon Korman is one of my favorite middle grade authors, and this book did not disappoint. This book is so perfect for middle school students to read, as well as adults. There is so much relatable humor in the books. There are outrageous situations, but also situations that you remember being in yourself when you were in middle school. As a teacher, I loved reading this book about a middle school teacher that is actually a robot. The students are skeptical at first- they aren't able to get anything past their teacher. As the story progresses, the students slowly start to love Mr. Aidact and are shocked when it is revealed that he is a robot. Similar to his other novels, this one is told with multiple perspectives. I really enjoy reading chapters from the point of view of different students- it keeps the novel moving at a quick pace. My students will surely love how funny and heartwarming this book is.
I just loved this novel! It’s funny and heartwarming. As a teacher, I love the multiple viewpoints. I would definitely use this novel to explore characters’ perspectives and themes of friendship and teamwork. I love how the students work together to help their teacher.
I highly recommend this book if you have an upper elementary through middle school student in your life.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
While not one of my favorite Gordon Korman titles ("Linked", "Fort", and "Juvie Three" rank top for me), "The Superteacher Project" is still a fun read for kids. I usually enjoy multiple POVs, but this story fell a bit flat for me with this writing style because I didn't feel quite connected to the characters. The story was solid, but I didn't care as much as I do with other Korman titles. I'm still so glad I read it since Korman is always on his game.
Oliver is not the best kid at school, and it is not because he is not smart...he just gets bored and distracted. Oliver is also very observant, and it does not take him long to notice some things are very weird about Mr. Aidact, the new middle school teacher. Oliver and his buddies continue to investigate and discover that Mr. Aidact is part of a Department of Education program, and he must decide whether to keep his findings a secret, or let the rest of the kids know what is going on.
Korman is one of my favorite middle grade authors. Although this one is not my favorite, I did enjoy it.
This book, as many of Korman's others, centers on middle grade school and issues of kids that age. There is a lot of Korman trademark humor, but also many serious, ethical/moral questions embedded in the plot. Korman's books are great reading alike for those who love and miss Andrew Clements.
While the myriad of POV's could be confusing at time, I did enjoy the story line of THE SUPERTEACHER PROJECT. It was fast-paced and a fun read. There were a few stereotypical adult characters that could use more depth, but overall it was an interesting premise and a story that held my attention.
Thanks NetGalley for the preview!
Such a fun teacher and student read. If you’ve ever worked with middle schoolers you’ll be hooked!
Gordan Korman is one of my most favorite authors to recommend to readers. This one will rank into bottom favorites- it's good but not as great as The Fort or Restart. I like that it incorporates AI and that will interest some readers. Thanks for the ARC.