BenBee and the Teacher Griefer

Love that Dog meets Mr. Bixby's Last Day in this funny, clever, video game-uplifting novel-in-verse.Ben Bennet failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State Test. Now he and three classmates are stuck in a summer school class. But these kids aren't dumb-they're divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands. Soon, they win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds out about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher's job-and their own academic future.Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, making for a distinct and engaging cast of characters. This heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse, the first in a cycle of complementary, but not continuing, storylines, is an honest, heartfelt collection of books about friendship, school, and video games that celebrates different types of intelligence and encourages even the most reluctant reader to embrace their own "divergent" self.

"[A]ppealing to readers who might resist a page full of prose. . . [K.A. Holt's] stories are sophisticated and character-driven."-The Austin American-Statesman, BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is one of those rare novels that ache with honesty: it is about discouragement and hope, about sad lonesomeness and glad community, about listening and being heard, about the fear of vulnerability and the absolute joy of being known. It is, in other words, about life-and like life, it demands our attention. You won't, you really won't stop turning the pages!-Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honoree, Printz Honoree, and National Book Award Finalist for Okay for Now, "Exceptional, needed, honest, and true." -educator Matthew Winner, host of The Children's Book Podcast, "Perfect for anyone who loves video games, anyone who thinks and learns a little differently, and really, anyone who loves a great story. Readers will laugh along and root for BenBee and his friends through all the twists and turns of this engaging multimodal story. I absolutely adored this book." -Kate Messner, author of Chirp and Breakout, Each young character has an expansive life outside the classroom that affects their academic performance and self-image. In addition to loss, a shared feeling is frustration in trying hard and still not measuring up. Over time, the relationships they form change them all. . . . Well-developed characters populate a heartwarming tale.-Kirkus Reviews

K.A. Holt is the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, and Knockout along with several other books for young people. She lives in Austin, Texas, and is active within the vibrant Texas writing community.