Looking back on our school days, we all have teachers who stood out. Some for being outrageously fun. Others for being painfully strict. Some for being incredibly dull. And maybe, if we’re really lucky, we have memories of one of the Good Ones. That teacher who just got it. Who understood what it was like to be a kid, who knew that even the littlest moments can change the entire day, who shared wisdom in a way that made us hang on to every word. For Topher, Brand, and Steve—and the rest of room 213—that teacher is Ms. Bixby. Ms. Bixby with the hot pink streak in her hair, and her endless supply of quotes, and her way of making every student feel important. Ms. Bixby is definitely one of the Good Ones.
And then comes the day, a month before school ends, when Ms. Bixby announces that she’s sick. Not just the kind of sick where you stay home and rest for a few days, but the scary kind of sick. The kind of sick where you’re not able to finish the school year. The kind of sick that involves doctors and hospitals and a whole list of scary new words. But room 213 is not about to let Ms. Bixby leave quietly. They plan a party—not a goodbye party, but a “see you later” party. Then five days before the party, Room 213 arrives to even more bad news: Ms. Bixby had to take her leave of absence early. No party. No chance for goodbye. Not even time for a “see you later.” Which is why Topher, Brand, and Steve decide to skip school and bring the party to Ms. Bixby. Every detail is perfectly planned, mapped out, and coordinated. They’re confident (mostly), they’re prepared (practically), they’re ready (almost). Their vision is clear. There’s no way anything can go wrong!
I’m going to warn you now, you’re going to need a fresh box of tissues for this one. As the adventure unfolds, the narrative is told through alternating viewpoints, and we get to know Brand, Topher, and Steve better than they even know each other. We get a behind-the-scenes view of their lives, the secrets they hold, the reasons that this mission—and Ms. Bixby—are so important to each of them. This is one of those books that, written differently, could have been depressing. Ms. Bixby’s Last Day tackles some tough stuff; the experiences we would like to shield our children from, but can’t. And yet, just as you’re reaching for the tissues, the tone changes, and you’re laughing out loud at yet another mishap or moment of levity. And that’s life, right? Even in the middle of the awful, there’s room for laughter and friendship, and the kind of teasing that can only happen between close friends. That’s how we get through the tough times. That’s how we keep going.
This is a book you don’t want to miss. It’s got an ending I’m dying to tell you, but I hate ruining an amazing book with spoilers. So I won’t. I’ll just tell you it’s an important book, one that celebrates the fact that there are good people of all ages walking around out there; that even though some days we watch the news and read the articles that make us think otherwise, there are still the Good Ones.
Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is in stores now.