Book Review

The Teacher’s Funeral, a comedy in three parts

Author: Richard Peck
Published: 2004, Dial Books
Pages: 190
Appropriate for readers of all ages

Author Richard Peck has written numerous novels, and is one of America's favorite writers. His coming of age stories are appealing to the head, heart and humor, and are enjoyed by youth and adults alike.

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it." So states Russell, the fifteen year-old narrator of the story. In 1904, Russell pines to leave Indiana for work threshing the harvest in the Dakotas. The only obstacle between dream and reality is the impending start of school, though with the sudden passing of Miss Myrt Arbuckle, the schoolteacher, his dreams once more fill his heart. But overnight Russell’s daydream becomes a nightmare when his older sister is immediately named to replace the dearly departed woman’s vacancy. Tansy, who has yet to even finish high school, meets the challenge with excellence. Despite the games and hijinx of the children of the Hominy Ridge School— among them a privy fire, a few snakes, and jealousy over heartthrobs -- she keep the school alive, and prepares her students for long lives of learning and adventure.

Review Submitted by Andrea Lutz