A great book about a creative and unique take on teaching. As an teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fun new idea, and I will recommend my middle school students also check out this book!

Gordon Korman is an automatic purchase in my library. This book doesn't disappoint. Brightling Middle School has a new teacher that seems too good to be true--for the administration, that is. He can catch spitballs between his fingertips, root out pranksters better than Sherlock Holmes, and can teach any subject. Before long, he's a student favorite, much to the dismay of Oliver and Nathan, whose hijinks seem to be at an end. Sensing something isn't right, the boys look to find Mr. Aidact's secret. This story, told from multiple perspectives folds meaningful content between the laughs, like, what makes a teacher great, what makes a school a community, and what does it really mean to be human.

This very fun science fiction story is told from the point of view of students and staff at a middle school. There is a new teacher there and the kids are trying to figure out what kind of teacher he's going to be. He even has his own student teacher, so the administrators must really think he's good. But a lot of things don't add up and it turns out, the new teacher is actually an artificial intelligence robot. Opinions swing wildly in this book about weather the robot is a good thing or not and that's part of the fun. Kids are going to love this one.

I was hooked from the first spitball! This one is super fun, but also had me thinking about what it really means to be human. Kids are going to have a blast with the crazy cast of characters!

A 7th grade class reports to homeroom and is introduced to their new teacher. His name is Mr. Aidact and he can catch a spitball right out of the air. He knows the lyrics to every song ever. His field hockey coaching may result in the first championship trophy in decades. Is he a superhero? No. Aidact = Artificially intelligent designated Android Classroom Teacher. This robot teacher is part of a special project run by the Department of Education. Only the principal and the teachers know the truth. The kids are about to figure it out on their own. Then what? In signature Korman style, we get multiple POVs and ingenious pranks as well as some really unexpected twists and turns.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed every Gordon Korman book I've read, so I was excited by the premise of The Superteacher Project. The books are always lighthearted and funny, with a voicey and related narrator and this book was no exception. I would absolutely recommend for reluctant readers or any kids who enjoy humor in their stories.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I usually enjoy Gordon Korean novels, this one wasn’t a favorite. It has a great, exciting ending, but I wasn’t impressed with the general storyline. There were some parts I felt weren’t necessary to include. For instance, Rosalie’s mom’s behavior. I didn’t understand why she needed to come off as so pathetic and starved for male attention. It didn’t help build her character as the PTA president or a helicopter mom. Additionally, I understood why Oliver’s pranks were necessary to the plot, but he didn’t have to be such a terrible friend or have zero consequences for the stunts he pulled. Also, where were Nathan and Oliver’s parents? They terrorize the school and they don’t get called? I felt there were quite a few holes left open in the story and had a rushed feeling. Just not a fan of this one.

Gordon Korman has done it again. I thought his last book, Operation Do-Over, was one of his best, but this one rivals it. He really has the monopoly on school stories and fully understands how kids' minds work. His books are interesting, fast-paced, and readable, and the shifting narrative of this book moved it along even faster than usual. I thought Oliver and Nathan were great protagonists, and I loved that we got the perspectives of some of the boys, some of the girls, and some of the adults. It made for a well-rounded story, and, as is often the case in his books, unlikely groups of kids ended up working together for the greater good.

A fun story, a meaningful story, and one I highly recommend.

Kids who love humor, sarcasm and pranks will be thrilled to read Korman's latest book. I enjoyed it. It's a quick read. My only disappointment is that it's too similar to many of his other books. Similar characters, same setting, same alternating narrator format. I personally miss the older books like his Kidnapped, Shipwrecked and Everest series, but those are now only available in mass market paperback with crummy covers so kids don't read them. A shame. But Korman's found what works and he's sticking with it.

This is an alternating narrator book like Restart, Unteachables, and Unplugged. You have a kid who loves to prank. The book opens with him explaining the science of spitballs. You have the sidekick who isn't quite sure why he's a sidekick. You have a smart girl nerd who just wants to fit in and has the added frustration of an embarrassing parent. And you have the unhappy kid who would love to reinvent himself. Those are the mains and you have a few minor narrators like the principal and a government employee.

Why government employee? Because the book is about a government experiment to test out an android teacher. Mr. Aidact shows up at school, with a non-teaching "student teacher," just in time to catch one of Oliver's spitballs in midair. And that's just the beginning. He knows everything and he never gets tired. Before long, he's taken over all the teacher duties like detention and he's coaching the girl's soccer team. AND he's onto Oliver and his pranks. But the weird thing is, all the kids, including Oliver, think he's the coolest teacher they've ever had. His detentions are fun and the girl's soccer team is finally winning again.

All good, right? Wrong. Things are bound to go awry and they do. On one hand he's too smart for his own good and on the other he's adapting too well, becoming more and more like a teenager. When the cat finally comes out of the bag, the project is deemed a failure by the powers that be, but the kids see things differently and must figure out what to do about Mr. Aidact.

Definitely purchasing. Can't go wrong with Korman.

While I have been a fan of a Gordon Korman for years, I was unprepared for how much I would enjoy this newest addition to his extensive list of middle grade books. The story, told through multiple viewpoints, is well plotted and engaging. At several points I thought I knew how this story would end (and tried to hold back my anticipated eye roll) but as it turned out, I was caught by surprise. A truly UNREAL ending! Highly recommend.

This book is 5 star fun to read, and it is sure to be a hit with middle grade readers as well as adults. For those of you who happen to have ever taught even one semester in a middle school setting, you are sure to smile knowingly on several pages. Now what kind of teacher could end up being the favorite teacher of every student in the middle school? What kind of teacher would gladly cover the extra-curricular duties of every other faculty member, from detention to lunchroom to bus duty and more? While you might have suspicions about this new guy, you will not be able to predict the touching and heartwarming scenes or the few surprise twists.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

Gordon Korman is back in the classroom. Having read The Unteachables I couldn't wait to start this book.

Oliver Zahn and his friend Nathan are always pulling pranks making trouble. But all the rules are about to change. Mr. Aidact is the new homeroom teacher. His rules must be obeyed at all times. It is quickly apparent that he is not like any of the other teachers. He is an expert at everything including stopping spit balls at the speed of light. And why is he followed around by a student teacher with a briefcase that does noting but sit and watch. Enjoy lots of laughter and good times as Oliver and Nathan get to the bottom of the mystery.

My middle grade readers a huge fans of Gordon Korman. I can see this one being a hit as well with it's humor and highly relatable characters.

The beauty of a Gordon Korman book is in the chaos, and this one does not disappoint. The descriptions of the field hockey action were also well done. This will appeal to middle graders, though there is not much depth regarding the ethics of an AI that seems to have its own opinions and agency.

Only two types of people will like the latest GORDON KORMAN book:

> People who already love Gordon Korman's stories, with their inimitable mix of humor and friendship and adventure
> Or people who have never yet experienced the page-turning thrill of a Korman novel but who are in for a lovely surprise

Oh, wait, here are the actual two types of people who will love THE SUPERTEACHER PROJECT:

> The kids who have been assigned to read the book or who've received a gifted copy (this includes voracious book fans as well as reluctant readers!) and realize they've found a new favorite
> The adults (parents, teachers, grown-up fans) who love having an excuse to read along with their kids (or who need no justification to read a great #mglit story on their own)

Oliver is the class clown of his seventh grade class. He is a master of the spitball, and when his new teacher shows up in homeroom, he is ready. He has his favorite launcher at the ready, plenty of paper to work into perfect spitballs, and his best friend Nathan to witness his genius. He takes his time with the spitball, making sure it’s just the perfect amount of wet, and then lining up his shot. As the new teacher bends over to look at something on the desk, Oliver prepares. But the new teacher, Mr. Aidact, is somehow even faster than Oliver and catches the perfect spitball right out of the air. Oliver realizes this is no ordinary teacher.

And it’s true that Mr. Aidact is no ordinary teacher. For one thing, he is followed around by an older man, Mr. Perkins, who he describes as his student teacher. And like the other teachers at Brightling Middle School, who all teach a single subject, Mr. Aidact teaches classes across several different subjects. Nathan is in his math class, and he struggles to understand ratios until one afternoon, when Mr. Aidact literally pulls the window blinds down to give Nathan a visible demonstration of what he is trying to teach. That is how Nathan finally understands ratios, and how he knows that Mr. Aidact is a teacher like he’s never known before.

Rosalie is a seventh grader who is already looking forward to college. She picks her classes with that in mind and works hard to keep her grades up. But she also thinks that field hockey will help pad her college applications. She’s not much of an athlete, but with Mr. Aidact coaching, she finds herself learning skills. But she struggles to understand the game itself, until their first real competition against another team. As Mr. Aidact fights for them against a bad call, Rosalie finds herself feeling like she’s part of a real team, and the chemistry between her and her teammates gels, and they find themselves scoring, and even maybe creating a chance to win.

But Mr. Aidact is far from a regular teacher. He takes over more and more of the other teachers’ activities, like watching over detention and the lunch room. His widespread knowledge of song lyrics and trivia make him popular with the students, and his ability to listen without judgment means that some of the outsiders find a friend in him as well. As his popularity grows with the students, the other teachers grow resentful of him, especially since they know the truth.

Mr. Aidact is not really a teacher. He is an experiment by the Department of Education to see how an artificial intelligence could handle teaching middle school students. The principal was honored that her school was chosen for the experiment, and while she could inform the other teachers, she was told not to inform the students or parents. She knows that if the parents found out, they would be angry.

But how would the students feel about it? Mr. Aidact is their teacher, their mentor, their coach, their friend.

It’s Oliver who sees it first, that their teacher is a robot. But what he decides to do with that information, well, that turns the school upside down and changes one teacher’s future forever.

The Superteacher Project is the latest novel from popular children’s author Gordon Korman, and it’s an amazing roller coaster of a good time. Looking at the possibility of an AI teacher, Korman gets into the heads of the middle schoolers, the colleagues, the principal, and the engineers and crafts an entertaining story that is also full of heart.

I loved The Superteacher Project. While it was interesting to see him interact with the environment, learning as he was going, I especially loved the unexpected issues that Perkins had to report to the Department of Education in his emails. This story is so fun but also so smart, and it will spark a lot of good conversations for middle schoolers. It’s told through many different perspectives, so readers can get a feel for what everyone is thinking, and it’s so easy to get caught up in what’s happening. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who wants to relive middle school, or to find out what it will be like in the near future.

Egalleys for The Superteacher Project were provided by HarperCollins Children’s Books (Balzer + Bray) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

At Brightling Middle school the students soon realize that their new teacher Mr Aidact isn't like most teachers in this entertaining young adult story. Mixing humor and science with a just the right amount of middle school chaos and you have the perfect combination of fun. With artificial intelligence this new top secret government experiment is quickly becoming the favorite coach and teacher, but will the secret get out and how will the students and families react when they realize their favorite teacher is not even human? I really enjoyed how the author blended science concepts with lots of relatable characters to create this fun read. This cute story should be very appealing for young adult audiences.

My eighth graders are Gordon Korman fans - our schoolwide read this year was Restart - and I'm so excited to share a copy of The Superteacher Project with them! He has such a great grasp of typical middle school behavior, and he keeps up with their trends without being too obviously dated. I have yet to read a book with field hockey at the forefront, and I think the balance of male and female protagonists with an AI robot teacher tossed in will make the book appeal to a lot of readers. I enjoyed reading The Fort a few months ago, but I think they'll enjoy this one even more! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheSuperteacherProject by Gordon Korman - 4.5 stars from me!

Disclaimer: I received this book as a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley; all opinions expressed here are my own.

This isn't one of Korman's stronger works, but it was still a well-written, entertaining read. The premise of an AI was a great way to carry the book's theme of how those we spend time with can influence us. I wish this theme had been dealt with in a slightly more nuanced manner (the parents were portrayed as small-minded and antagonistic, when they did bring up some valid concerns about the ethics of the Aidact project). However, even the theme's subtle existence provided food for thought without pounding the point in too hard. I really enjoyed the humor scattered throughout the book; Mr. Aidact was impossible not to love. Korman did a great job of making even an AI a complex and rounded character, character faults and all. No one in this story is perfect, but rather than adding commentary on the negative behavior of students, Korman mostly leaves the judgements in that area up to the readers. Although the story could have used some more closer for some of the individual characters (Steinke in particular), the main plot wrapped up in a satisfying way. Overall, this was an excellent book, and a great way to spend a quiet afternoon.

Gordon Korman has written another winner. Told from multiple students' perspectives, we get a glimpse into a not-so-distant future when teachers could be replaced with extremely life-like AI robots. Excellent characters who are humourous and relatable and a well-paced plot that will keep you guessing what happens next make this a great pick for fans of realistic fiction. This book is super timely given the new ChatGPT tool that is blowing people's minds about the power of AI. It's a great conversation starter for a discussion about what makes someone (or something) human and the ethics of how we use AI in our daily lives. Recommended for 3rd-8th grade readers.

What worked:
It’s quickly apparent there’s something different about the new teacher. All young readers can identify with encountering new teachers and the character in this book combines their common traits. He’s handsome and good-looking but he never smiles. He knows about everything but doesn’t understand common figures of speech. He’s a stickler for rules but his reactions to violations aren’t consistent. Readers will find themselves puzzled over what makes this teacher tick, although they’ll probably have suspicions. And what’s up with his student teacher looking like his grandfather and carrying a black case wherever he goes?
The plot is shared from various points of view that will help readers make personal connections with at least one character. The opening scene is told by a seventh-grade prankster as the new teacher foils his plans to shoot the perfect spit wad. A studious, well-behaved girl shares another chapter about the prankster scaring her in the bathroom and the new teacher’s unexpected reaction. She deals with the new teacher’s efforts to coach field hockey and her mom, PTA president, flirting with him. A lowly-motivated student connects with the new teacher in detention and makes some surprising behavior changes. The prankster’s best friend and the principal are the focus of additional chapters with drastically different perspectives of the new teacher and school.
As a retired teacher, the perspective of the teaching staff and the educational environment are interesting. The principal informs readers that this is a Department of Education experiment so the new teacher’s role is unexpected. Other teachers begin to take advantage of him as they dump all of their unwanted duties on him. However, the new teacher’s methods are effective and he becomes quite popular. He even makes afterschool detention a place where kids want to hang out. As we well know, all good things must come to an end.
What didn’t work as well:
While the plot is entertaining, the major conflict or problem is put on the back burner until the second half of the book. However, the overall story is very entertaining and the climax is worth the wait.
The Final Verdict:
The author has been a favorite of mine over the years and this book does not disappoint. The use of multiple points of view is a familiar strategy for this author and it works very well in this setting. I don’t often enjoy more than a couple of them in a book but I can highly recommend you give this book a shot!