Miss Loupe is Bo's 6th grade teacher at the Air Force base where his father works. She's a young, inspirational teacher who encourages her students to think outside the box and create art and beauty. But she becomes emotionally sidetracked upon hearing the news of her brother's severe war injuries in Afghanistan and it's up to Bo and his classmates to bring her back, by creating a production of drama and art that involves the wider community. This is the first novel for kids I've encountered that seems to get the daily life of military brats and the impact their parents' careers have on them. ( )

Unique and inspirational! So different than any of the books I've read recently! I listened to the audiobook version and it was REALLY well done. I highly recommend it! ( )

This book will stretch the reader. Military family life combined with improv theatre. It has matter of fact writing style befitting the military base setting. The story is told mainly from Bo and Gari's point of view, both children in military families. There are sections where point of view jumps all over the place. Not in a confusing manner, but perhaps a bit unnessarily (but maybe not). Life in a military family is a unique one and this book does an excellent job showing it to us. ( )

Very good read. Creative, with interesting characters, well presented, in a realistic take on military families. Kids from the military would especially love this book. I really liked the improv aspect. ( )

Grades 5-7
Welcome to Miss Loupe's 6th grade classroom. Bo and his friends aren't quite sure what to make of Miss Loupe on the first day of school when they meet the tattoo'd, multi-pierced, and energetic teacher who crawls around on the floor making a rectangle out of masking tape. Even the reluctant learners are quickly drawn in as she uses improvisational theatre to help her students see the world in different ways. Bo, whose base commander father doesn't appreciate the number of scrapes his son gets into at school, finds himself paying attention and learning. When Miss Loupe's brother, who is stationed in Afganistan, is reported missing and then sent home with serious injuries, Miss Loupe seems to fade to a shadow of her former self. It's up to Bo, his cousin Gari, and his fellow students at Young Oaks Elementary to remind her of what she taught them: that the cracks in things are how the light gets in.
With the Air Force Base setting and the majority of the characters being part of military families, this is an inspiring and important story. ( )