The Best Teacher in Second Grade (review)

Luna's move to a new school mid-year has been eased by the welcoming Mr. Hopper, her new teacher, who's as interested in astronomy as she is. Since she thinks everything is better when it's astronomically flavored, she's disappointed when the class rejects her night-sky idea for their Family Night show and opts instead for a circus. Her further attempts to bring heavenly bodies into the circus plans (a hula-hooping Luna hopes to appear as "the planet Saturn, with its rings") meet with bafflement from her classmates ("Everyone stared at Luna" is the sad refrain), finally causing a hurt Luna to turn her back on her beloved avocation. When the news that another class is also doing a circus leaves Mr. Hopper's class searching for an alternative, however, Luna comes to the rescue by suggesting an astronomically themed night circus. The title is a bit misleading, since the book really focuses on Luna rather than on Mr. Hopper, but it's all the more welcome for that: Luna is a shining star in her own right. Kenah handily conveys her protagonist's delight in her passion as well as her single-mindedness, and there's a light touch with the point about finding space for compromise with the less enthused. The text is sprinkled with astronomical references and turns of phrase throughout, but they don't unduly complicate things ("telescope" and "constellation" are the only technical terms likely to be unfamiliar to some young readers), and there's plenty of unobtrusive repetition to ease decoding. Carter's line-and-watercolor illustrations offer homey and casual portraits of Luna and her multiracial class (Luna herself has tight curls and honeyed skin tones that suggest a variety of genetic backgrounds with equal plausibility). This is a prettily turned tale in general, and it will be particularly appreciated by youngsters trying to find a classroom place for their own driving passions.