Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

Realistic Fiction

age - 11-13

grade 6-8

300 pages, hardcover

c. 2016

         Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is the kind of book that can make you both laugh and cry, sometimes almost at the same time. It is the story of an extraordinary 6^th grade teacher, described by her students as “one of the good ones," and her relationship with three of her students. These three students, Topher, Brand and Steve, are quite different from each other yet they are close friends. The story is told from each of their perspectives in alternating chapters. In this way you begin to understand what Ms. Bixby means to each of them and what they mean to each other.

            Near the end of the school year Ms. Bixby announces to her class that she will not be able to finish out the school year. She is sick with pancreatic cancer. However, a final class party will be planned for her last day. Unfortunately, she is unable to come back for it. Topher, Steve, and especially Brand are devastated by this news and come up with a daring plan to give her an unforgettable day, complete with all the special things she shared with the class that she would like to have if she knew when her last day on earth would be. This was a writing prompt for the class. Her list included a special and expensive white-chocolate raspberry supreme cheesecake, French fries from McDonald’s, wine, a picnic on a grassy hill with friends and music from Tchaikovsky or Beethoven. Topher also decides they need a copy of The Hobbit so Ms. Bixby can finish reading the book to them.

            The way the three boys manage to acquire almost all these things is like 

 watching a slapstick comedy routine along with several heartbreaking moments. There are the descriptions of the cheesecake after it has spent the day in Steve’s backpack, “now looks like a giant, heaping turd of white and red Play-Doh mixed together. I’m guessing the heat and the running caused it to soften and then be repeatedly smashed into the sides of the box, taking a beating with every step. It’s a deformed monster of a dessert now. The hunchback of cheesecakes.” There are chase scenes, the stand off in the alley with the man who ran off with their money and tense moments between the friends. In the end, however, they band together and support each other and arrive at the hospital to complete their mission.

            How and why Ms. Bixby is so special to each of the boys is slowly revealed. She happened to see Brand one snowy day struggling with bags of groceries to bring home to his disabled father so there would be food in the house. She became his weekly ride to the grocery store. Topher noticed her one afternoon after school retrieving his artwork out of the trash because she appreciated his talent, something his over busy parents failed to notice. Ms. Bixby stands up for Steve during a conference with his over achievement-oriented father. She encourages Steve to be himself, enjoys his nerdiness and celebrates his achievements.

            This is a book about friendship and loyalty, about learning to identify one’s strengths and appreciate the different strengths of others. It is also about the love and gratitude shown to an incredibly special teacher. This book is, in my opinion, “one of the good ones.”

            A few final thoughts. I think the portrayal of the three boys was done exceptionally well. They are well developed with all their strengths and weakness in a realistic way. They can be generous and self -sacrificing and can do incredibly stupid and sometimes dangerous things, typical of middle school students. For this reason, as well as the fact that Topher reveals the Tooth Fairy is a fake, I would not recommend this book for younger students.