The Kids Under the Stairs: Benbee and the Teacher Griefer

The Kids Under the Stairs: Benbee and the Teacher Griefer

Ben B, Ben Y, Jordan J, and Javier failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State Test. Now they’re stuck in a remedial class during summer school, shoved under the stairs of their school. But Ben B and his classmates aren’t dumb—they’re divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: They simply approach things in a different way not entirely conducive to traditional school. It’s not long before they win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher’s job—and their own academic future. Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, making for a distinct and engaging cast of characters. This heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, school, and video games that celebrates different types of intelligence and encourages even the most reluctant reader to embrace their own 'divergent' self.