May 10, 2026

Teacher Appreciation Week: The Teachers Who Saw Them

TBD. Draft option: The teachers in these books are the ones I hope my kids get.

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These are the books featured in this post — tap any cover to find it on Amazon.

Cover of Fish in a Tree

Fish in a Tree

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

PICK 1 (CREDIBILITY ANCHOR). Schneider Family Book Award + NYT bestseller. Ally hides her dyslexia behind every kind of trouble until Mr. Daniels notices what she is actually doing. The heaviest credibility hitter in the lineup. Hunt screened CLEAN 4/28: 3262 followers, founder of #AuthorsLoveTeachers, books-only feed, no political content. On-brand alignment is direct.

Cover of Thank You Mr. Falker

Thank You Mr. Falker

by Patricia Polacco

PICK 2. Polacco's true story about the teacher who finally figured out what the other teachers had missed. The book teachers gift each other. Polacco is NAME-ONLY per 4/24 Birthday Books screening (political bio: First Amendment Rights Coalition, NCLB criticism). Publisher tagged via @penguinkids (Philomel imprint). Server publisher data was corrected 4/28 from incorrect 'Candlewick' to correct 'Philomel Books.'

Cover of Miss Nelson Is Missing

Miss Nelson Is Missing

by Harry Allard

PICK 3. Fifty year classroom comedy classic. The lesson is appreciation — the kids only realize what they had once Miss Nelson disappears. Allard and Marshall both deceased — name only. Publisher routed via @harperkids (former HMH).

Cover of The Unteachables

The Unteachables

by Gordon Korman

PICK 4. Carly read 4/28 and enjoyed. Korman handle SCREENED CLEAN 4/28: @gordonkorman, 4861 followers, books-only bio, no political content. Paragraph reframed to center the WARMTH (a teacher about to give up + a class everyone gave up on, slowly bringing each other back). Publisher routed via @harperkids (Balzer + Bray imprint).

Cover of Because of Mr. Terupt

Because of Mr. Terupt

by Rob Buyea

PICK 5 (CLOSER). Disclaimer-then-payoff close. Carly's 4/28 read note: front half is rough (bullying, fat shaming, slurs about disabilities, parental abandonment); second half is the payoff that earns the spot. Caption carries explicit honest disclaimer. Buyea SCREENED 4/28: Twitter @RobBuyea exists but dormant (1850 followers, no posts), no active Instagram surfaced, low-profile author. NAME-ONLY — routed via @randomhousekids (Delacorte imprint).

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