Mr. Bambuckle: Class 12B Fights Back

Take Mary Poppins and Doctor Who, and combine them together, and maybe you will come up with Mr. Bambuckle.

Mr. Bambuckle keeps a scrub jay in his pocket. He rides a unicycle, and offers gormet food to his students. He teaches by doing, and the principal does not like him.

This book, the second in what appears to be a series of books about the class of 12b, and Mr. Bambuckle, their teacher, is light hearted, and fun, but like cotton candy, is not very filing. There is a huge introduction of pictures of the major players, the students, at the beginning of the book where we learn their dislikes and likes. Very odd. Once we get past that, we get to what appears to be the crux of the story, of how to get Mr. Bambuckle back.

Through the students, with some unexplained magic, the students learn how to send the new teacher far away, so that Mr. Bambuckle can return.

But the plot wanders off form there, so that we have stories of disruptive kindergartners and parents that change the age of majority from 18 to 8.

It is not clear what this has to do with the main plot, and thes stories seem to be side adventures.

But perhaps that is the way this wacky series works.

And honestly, the stories are cute and good, and probably just right for the market of middle-grade.