Benbee and the Teacher Griefer - by K a Holt

About the Book

Told in multiple voices, four summer school classmates band together to save their teacher and their academic futures after Ms J.'s unorthodox teaching methods are questioned.

Book Synopsis

From the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, and Knockout!

The Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is a funny, clever novel-in-verse series about Ben Bellows--who failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State test--and three classmates who get stuck in a summer school class.

But these kids aren't dumb--they're divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands.

- Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, who each write in a different style (art, verse, stream of consciousness).
- Celebrates different types of intelligence
- A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse

Soon, the kids 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.

The first in a series of complementary storylines, this is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, videogames, and learning to love yourself.

- Features a distinct and engaging cast of characters
- Encourages even the most reluctant reader to embrace their own "divergent" self
- Perfect for parents of kids age 10 and up who love Minecraft, educators and librarians, middle grade readers, new readers of poetry, and fans of videogames
- Add it to the shelf with books like Ghost by Jason Reynolds, Patina by Jason Reynolds, and Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Review Quotes

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is one of those rare novels that ache with honesty: it is about discouragement and hope, about sad lonesomeness and glad community, about listening and being heard, about the fear of vulnerability and the absolute joy of being known. It is, in other words, about life-and like life, it demands our attention. You won't, you really won't stop turning the pages!"-Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honoree, Printz Honoree, and National Book Award Finalist for Okay for Now

"Each young character has an expansive life outside the classroom that affects their academic performance and self-image. In addition to loss, a shared feeling is frustration in trying hard and still not measuring up. Over time, the relationships they form change them all. . . . Well-developed characters populate a heartwarming tale."-Kirkus Reviews

"[A]ppealing to readers who might resist a page full of prose. . . [K.A. Holt's] stories are sophisticated and character-driven."-The Austin American-Statesman

"Exceptional, needed, honest, and true." -educator Matthew Winner, host of The Children's Book Podcast

"Perfect for anyone who loves video games, anyone who thinks and learns a little differently, and really, anyone who loves a great story. Readers will laugh along and root for BenBee and his friends through all the twists and turns of this engaging multimodal story. I absolutely adored this book." -Kate Messner, author of Chirp and Breakout

About the Author

K. A. Holt is the author of Redwood & Ponytail, House Arrest, Knockout, Rhyme Schemer and several other books for young people. She lives in Austin, Texas.