The Unteachables Written by Gordon Koman

The Unteachables-Gordon Korman

A classroom full of misfits.

A detached, scorned, and burned-out teacher.

Mix these two scenarios together to equal the wild and adventurous classroom of room 117, better known as The Unteachables.

Gordon writes a hilariously captivating story about Mr. Kermit, the soon-to-be-retired Greenwich Middle School teacher assigned to an unruly, disinterested classroom of students who are almost as complacent as him. He doesn't know the students' names in his classroom, and it's mid-year, nor does he even care. Teaching, what's that? Homework, who cares? Sound like the perfect teacher for these types of delinquents, or is it?

Through a twist of events, Mr. Kermit relives parts of his past that he wants to forget. This includes the most notorious cheating scandal in the school's district, for which he was to blame. His students begin to piece together his past and discover the reason for his detachment. But a unique opportunity arises when the Unteachables teach Mr. Kermit that they care about him after all, snowballing a series of events that lead the whole gang to discover that their classroom is full of possibilities more than problems.

Gordon depicts the middle school drama with great humor in an engaging and delightful read for middle and upper elementary-grade students. Each chapter is written creatively from the perspective of each character in the story, intertwining the story's events in a unique, unforgettable fashion. Sometimes in life, we don't want the past to catch up with us, but in this classroom, the past ignites a purpose and passion for Mr. Kermit that sets his teaching career ablaze...literally!