Ms. Bixby's Last Day

I loved this book. As a special education teacher, I like to spend my school vacations diving head first into a pile of books kids are currently reading. Especially since I have two little book worms of my own. It's one way I like to connect with my own children and students and help them find books they will love and be able to connect with students on that level by sharing thoughts about it. This was one of the books in my pile over my February break. The emotional ride this book takes you on as you connect with the main character trio and fall in love with their teacher Ms. Bixby is just incredible. I was laughing and crying and on the edge of my seat throughout their entire adventure. I could not put it down. It reminded me of Ferris Bueller meets Stand by Me. I can't wait for my 3rd grade daughter to read this one...she reads like crazy and gets emotionally attached to characters like I do so I know she'll just adore this one. I really hope I'm one of the Good Ones and I hope I am lucky enough to have students that I connect with who think as highly of me as these boys do of their beloved teacher.(Be careful if you're thinking of sharing this with 3rd or 4th graders....I would wait until children are in 5th or 6th grade to share this book because the book does talk about the tooth fairy not being real. It is a more challenging read and probably more appropriate for upper elementary anyway.)

Ugh, I knew what was coming, and yet I still found myself engrossed and sobbing at the end of this story! This story is just beautifully written from beginning to end. Like so many other books lately, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day follows in the “Wonder” footsteps of shifting point of views while you are reading. This “Point of View” swap, like I like to call it, can often take away from a story if it isn’t done brilliantly. But due to the immense talent of John David Anderson, the point of view swapping between Ms. Bixby’s students was flawlessly executed, and it allowed its readers to see themselves in one of Ms. Bixby’s devoted students.Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is a story centered around the love between an amazing teacher and the students she has connected. We have all had them. Those teachers that touch your heart and make you feel special. As I was reading this story, I constantly saw myself flashing between great relationships I have had with my past teachers and the relationships I strive to build with my own students. Throw in the aggressive cancer diagnosis of the beloved teacher, equally tough home lives of the devoted students, and planned adventure to visit a sick teacher in the hospital that goes horribly wrong, and you can see why I was a mess by the end. The innocence and devotion of the students towards Ms. Bixby’s and her Last Day will touch your hearts and stay with you for years to come.

This book showed up on a list of best books of 2016 for middle school. The topic, the death of a favorite teacher told from the perspective of three of her students, seemed intense but the publisher's information said Grades 3-7 and School Library Journal marked it Grades 4-6. Every Amazon review gave it 5 stars so, as a K-4 Grade librarian, I wanted to see for myself.Now having finished the story, I feel blessed to have met Ms. Bixby and her students. The shifting perspective gives the reader a chance to meet three brave, funny, vulnerable 6th graders and the teacher who made a difference in the lives of each of them.Sad as this story ultimately is, it is told with such humor that I laughed out loud through some of the escapades of that extraordinary last day.Do I think a third grader could handle this book? There are definitely some language and situations that might stop a 9 year old from appreciating the big picture. In a sense it would be like giving a kid Brie when he prefers Velveeta, This is a book that deserves to be put in the hands of the right reader. My job will be to find that reader.

Our family LOVED this book! It captures every aspect of the human spirit. My husband usually groans when the kids ask to listen to audio book while riding in the car. This book was different. We actually started listening to it on "movie night" because it was so good. It shares a good dose of humor while exposing the reader/listener to some of the tougher issues life sometimes gives you. I would caution some parents to the language used in this book. We take a conservative approach to "swear" words in our home. Words like hell, stupid, crap are considered bad and naughty words in our home, and this book does use some harsher words. Also, there is some name calling in this book. We did need to discuss with our children (age 5, 8, 11) that the use of that type of language wouldn't be appropriate in our home or on the playground. You will need to use your own discretion for your children, but I would not hesitate to listen to this book again with our family. It is an amazing story and this audio book version nailed it!

Last school year I came across a book that I thought was about retirement. After all, emails were sent inviting staff and teachers to celebrate colleagues who were retiring. But the book was not about retirement. It's literally about a teacher's last days. On earth. You see, Ms Bixby found out she has cancer. And it's terminal. The book is told from the point of view of three former students whose lives have been affected by Ms. Bixby’s teachings. Accord- ing to one, “Ms. Bixby is one of the good ones, the type of teacher you actually want to go back and say hi to when you graduate. The type of teacher you don't want to disappoint.” Other teachers fall into Zombies, Caff- Adds, Dungeon Masters, Spiel- bergs, and the Noobs. When you read the book you'll find out what these characters are like and may find yourself reflecting which categories your former teachers fit into. Despite its subject matter it's a heart-warming book, full of laughs, tears, and reflection. Just like life itself.

Great story for all ages. Read to my students ages 6 to 13. They loved it. So did my sister!

Heartwarming, hilarious and tear-jerking. Highly recommend.

Thanks

This was probably one of the first incredibly emotional books I had read. It's a story about three boys and their admiration and love for a teacher who made them feel at home. We see the support and care that these children received and gave to their teachers. It's heartfelt and incredibly interesting as well. I loved the flow and authenticity the most. The writing is absolutely top-tier, and I'd definitely recommend it to people of all ages.Review by my daughter,Arohi Arora

This has proved one of my reading highlights, of adult or children's books- and I read for a living- of recent months. It is an exceptionally wise, insightful, funny and moving book. I could not recommend it highly enough.