Recommended Reading
Book Review for 11-14yrs
‘Teacher’s Dead’ by Benjamin Zephaniah
This book is all about not taking everything at face value and makes the true observation that there is usually ‘something’ behind what meets the eye.
Jackson Jones is the self-appointed investigator of a horrific crime which is nothing less than the murder, by stabbing of one of his teachers, in front of his eyes in the school playground. Having been a witness, he is unsurprisingly traumatised, although unusually for a fifteen-year-old, he is determined not to let things rest but to try to discover for himself what actually happened. He wants to know why the two boys involved could really have come to the point of committing such an act.
In the course of his investigations, Jackson uncovers a number of surprising facts and the reader learns much about parental relationships – not least an insight into the nature of maternal love. There are also other social commentaries relating to absent fathers as role models, bullying and under age alcohol abuse. However, the author never adopts a ‘preachy’ tone and the reader is led gently towards a consideration of the part that society plays in the behaviour of young people.
This is a book that could be enjoyed by everyone between 11-14yrs. While it is especially suitable for boys, girls too would find the social issues of interest. The language is always sharp and to the point with straightforward dialogue which would be easy to follow for the struggling older reader. The author does not waste words and the short chapters encourage the reader forward.
Benjamin Zephaniah is most well known for his poetry which has appealed to children of all ages but this book confirms him as a worthy writer of fiction.
