If you haven't read a book by author K.A. Holt, here's a great place to start. Her novels in verse have well-developed story lines and unique characters that make them fast-paced reads that are sure to touch the hearts of every reader. I haven't met a book of Holt's I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.
BENBEE AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER is about a small group of Florida summer school students hoping to pass their retakes of the FART. Well, everyone calls it the FART, but it's actually the Florida Rigorous Academic Assessment Test - FRAAT. Ben, Benita, Jordan, and Javier are all taking remedial reading summer school with Ms. J. to brush up on the skills they need to earn a passing score required on the test.
The tiny class is meeting in a room #113 which is really just a few desks crammed under the stairs at the end of a hall. Ms. J. quickly discovers that her students would much rather be playing a video game called Sandbox rather than reading aloud from a book she chose for the summer session. As a teacher willing to recognize what she labels as "divergent" students, she asks Benita to stay late one afternoon to help her choose a better book in the school library. Benita, or BenY as she prefers, selects a book called SAVE UR SERVER, SAVE UR SELF, a book about strategies for the Sandbox video game.
It takes some convincing, but Ms. J. agrees to let them read the book. They also agree to another deal which is that if they read aloud for 10 minutes each day in class, Ms. J. will play Sandbox with them for 10 minutes IN CLASS. The four students can't believe their teacher is actually willing to play a video game and at school to boot.
As the summer passes, Ms. J. and her students learn about trust, friendship, and how being divergent is not a bad thing. As each student's unique story is revealed, readers will see them gain understanding of just what it means to help each other through the tough times. They even join forces to help Ms. J. in her time of need. Overall, a perfectly divergent tale.
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