Dewey Fairchild, Teacher Problem Solver - by Lorri Horn (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this follow-up to Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver, our genius problem solver, Dewey, takes up the challenge of troublesome teachers after a client shows up desperate to pacify his teacher. It turns out that tons of kids have problem teachers, so he's soon up to his neck in cases--from classic cases of teachers who are soo boring to bizarre cases like the teacher who leaves students scared of water--even water fountains. Meanwhile, Dewey's school starts limiting toilet paper use--to just one tiny square at a time!--and replaces Dewey's beloved vending machines with . . . a garden. That's no substitute for the delightful snacks Dewey lives for, so he and his best friends protest with a secret demonstration involving edible additions to school property. But detention may be the least of their problems when some argue their actions were vandalism. Will their demands for student involvement sway the administration, or will they be caught and punished with detention . . . or worse?

Book Synopsis

Genius problem solver Dewey takes up the challenge after a client shows up desperate to pacify his teacher.

In this follow-up to Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver, It turns out that tons of kids have troublesome teachers, so he's soon up to his neck in cases--from classic cases of teachers who are soo boring to bizarre cases like the teacher who leaves students scared of water--even water fountains. Meanwhile, Dewey's school starts limiting toilet paper use--to just one tiny square at a time!--and replaces Dewey's beloved vending machines with . . . a garden. That's no substitute for the delightful snacks Dewey lives for, so he and his best friends protest with a secret demonstration involving edible additions to school property.

But detention may be the least of their problems when some argue their actions were vandalism. Will their demands for student involvement sway the administration, or will they be caught and punished with detention . . . or worse?

Review Quotes

Sixth grade dumps a flurry of teacher and school-policy issues on a veteran problem-solver's plate.

So it's off to middle school and a whole new level of assignments for Dewey--including a teacher whose shark-based curriculum is terrorizing an entire class, the sudden appearance of single-sheet dispensers in all the toilet stalls, and the dismaying prospect of having the snack machines replaced by wholesome produce from a student garden. But, as fans of his exploits in Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver (2017) well know, no matter the scope or complexity of the case, Dewey has a plan or at least enough of one to get started. In classmates Colin and Seraphina, plus nonagenarian business associate, neighbor, and designated cookie baker Clara Cottonwood, he has an excellent posse, too. Extended brainstorming and research sessions, a poster campaign, and carefully crafted presentations for a climactic school assembly are all plainly offered as models for would-be activist readers, but the author stirs in a big dog, a little sister, classroom hijinks, family interplay, and so much banter and punning ("Your t-issue is a call to duty!") that the agenda sits lightly on the roller-coaster plot. Dewey is white, but his supporting cast is more explicitly diversified than previously, both on the cover illustration (in which Colin and Seraphina are both shown to be kids of color) and in narrative references to immigrant parents, ethnicity, and like cues.

Grass-roots politics at its best, likely to leave readers flushed with laughter.

--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Lorri Horn is an educator and the author of the Dewey Fairchild Problem Solver middle grade series, published by Chicago Review Press. The first in that series earned a Kirkus starred review and was selected for their "Best Middle Grade Books of 2017." Additionally, her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times Sunday Opinion, Phi Delta Kappan, and Advanced Placement (AP) Central. Horn has been a National Board Certified Teacher, has a degree in English, a teaching credential, and a Masters of Education. In addition to literature and writing, she also studied biological anthropology and human behavior. She taught public school and served as an instructional leader for 15 years. Her background brings to her work a unique insight and a warm sense of humor regarding the needs and perspectives of children and family dynamics.