The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

Mr. Kermit knows the Superintendent of Schools doesn't like him.  A long time ago one of his students copied test results and shared them with his class.  They got an award for having the best results until that was discovered.  Kermit had no idea it happened.  The Superintendent blames him anyway.  And now he's looking for a way to get rid of him.  Kermit plans on taking early retirement anyway, but being threatened doesn't help.  And now he's been saddled with a class of seven students known as "The Unteachables".  He gives them worksheets and tries to ignore them for the most part.  That's not a good start...

Balzer + Bray and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 8th.

This is an excellent read.  The students all have issues of various sorts except one.  She came to school to register.  Her stepbrother got sick, stepmom took him home and she mistakenly gets in the wrong class.  They spend all day together so she doesn't have to go from class to class and she only intends to be there a couple of months, so she stays.

One big girl is said to be a bully and very tough.  It's just gossip.  There's a boy who has dyslexia.  One has problems with his anger.  Another boy was a hero in sports until he got hurt.  Now he's nobody.  And so it goes.

The whole class is lethargic as well as the teacher.  Then the teacher defends a student.  All of sudden they are turning into a real class.  He's helping the boy learn how to read, has another taking art classes, and gets angry when his class is left out of school events.  He knows why, but things are changing and no one is giving them a chance.  Soon, the students are saving him.

While the subject matter is a bit sad, it keeps improving every chapter and the ending will make you smile.  They might ribbit at Mr. Kermit but they support him as much he supports them.