What do you think?
Rate this book
The Superteacher Project: A Hilarious Middle Grade Story about an AI Robot Teacher
From Gordon Korman, the bestselling author of Restart and The Unteachables , comes a hilarious new story about a mysterious new teacher who turns out to be an AI robot from a secret experimental program. Oliver Zahn, spitball champion and self-declared rule-wrecker of Brightling Middle School, is not a fan of his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact. The guy is sort of stiff, never cracks a smile, and refers to them as “pupils.” The worst part is he catches Oliver before he can pull any of his signature pranks! It’s time for Oliver and his best friend, Nathan, to show the new teacher who’s boss. But as the weeks go by, they start to realize that Mr. Aidact is not what they expected. He has an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics or trivia. When the girls’ field hockey team needs a new coach, he suddenly turns out to be an expert. He never complains when other teachers unload work on him—even when it’s lunchroom duty and overseeing detention. Against all odds, Mr. Aidact starts to become the most popular teacher at Brightling. Still, Oliver and Nathan know that something is fishy. They’re determined to get to the bottom of the What’s the deal with Mr. Aidact?
304 pages, Paperback
Published January 9, 2024
251 people are currently reading
3411 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
253 books4,465 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
May 26, 2024
মন প্রফুল্ল করার জন্য আদর্শ বই।
দুইহাজার তেইশে করম্যানের একটা বইও পড়িনি। চব্বিশে এসে ভাবলাম আবার শুরু করা যাক। আর শুরুর জন্য এর চাইতে ভালো বই সম্ভবত হয় না। এবার গল্পে ভিন্নতা আছে,অপ্রত্যাশিত সব মোচড় আছে, হাসি আছে, আবেগ আছে - মোটকথা করম্যান স্বমহিমায় ফেরত এসেছেন তার সর্বশেষ কিশোর উপন্যাসে। জমিয়ে গল্প বলা একটা শিল্প আর করম্যান এই শিল্পের একজন মহৎ কারিগর।
দুইহাজার তেইশে করম্যানের একটা বইও পড়িনি। চব্বিশে এসে ভাবলাম আবার শুরু করা যাক। আর শুরুর জন্য এর চাইতে ভালো বই সম্ভবত হয় না। এবার গল্পে ভিন্নতা আছে,অপ্রত্যাশিত সব মোচড় আছে, হাসি আছে, আবেগ আছে - মোটকথা করম্যান স্বমহিমায় ফেরত এসেছেন তার সর্বশেষ কিশোর উপন্যাসে। জমিয়ে গল্প বলা একটা শিল্প আর করম্যান এই শিল্পের একজন মহৎ কারিগর।
January 19, 2023
First I absolutely love reading Gordon Korman books, either by myself or with one or more of my children. But I will state that it is sometimes frustrating that his books release weeks or months ahead in the US Market, before coming to the Canadian Market. And based on the description and some of Korman’s many other amazing ‘school stories’ I had to get the Us edition so I could read it right away!
Mid Last year, in the summer of 2022, Korman published his 100th book. Yes you read that correctly, his hundredth book. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read almost 30 of his books. But a drop in the buck, but with each one I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son often reads these books to me or with me. I picked up this to read it the week it released. And now my son is rereading it to me.
My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together a few years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in their copy of the book. Prior to that I had a read a few of his contributions to the 39 Clues series and had enjoyed them. My son and I have mostly been reading his more recent titles. I have read about 25 over the last 6 months. This one took me by surprise and now a few days later I am still thinking about it. Working in IT and AI being one of the buzz words the last few years this story really works well. In the US from Harper Collins and is now in reprint under the Balzer + Bray imprint, and in Canada it is published by Scholastic.
The description of this volume states:
“From Gordon Korman, the bestselling author of Restart and The Unteachables, comes a hilarious new story about a mysterious new teacher who turns out to be an AI robot from a secret experimental program.
Oliver Zahn, spitball champion and self-declared rule-wrecker of Brightling Middle School, is not a fan of his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact. The guy is sort of stiff, never cracks a smile, and refers to them as "pupils." The worst part is he catches Oliver before he can pull any of his signature pranks! It's time for Oliver and his best friend, Nathan, to show the new teacher who's boss.
But as the weeks go by, they start to realize that Mr. Aidact is not what they expected. He has an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics or trivia. When the girls' field hockey team needs a new coach, he suddenly turns out to be an expert. He never complains when other teachers unload work on him--even when it's lunchroom duty and overseeing detention. Against all odds, Mr. Aidact starts to become the most popular teacher at Brightling.
Still, Oliver and Nathan know that something is fishy. They're determined to get to the bottom of the mystery: What's the deal with Mr. Aidact?”
Like many of Korman’s other books this one formost chapters is written in a series of first person narratives. Each chapter title is the name of the narrator for that chapter. There are a couple of other authors I read who use this method, and Korman is one of the masters. The narrators are:
Oliver Zahn - 8
Rosalie Arnette - 8
Nathan Popova - 7
Steinke Newhouse - 2
Principal Candiotti - 4
Nathan Popova - 7
Paul Perkins, PE - 1
There are also a number of chapters that are confidential emails, 7 to be accurate and the Epilogue is a news story from a wire service. A Sample of an email report chapter is:
“CONFIDENTIAL REPORT
To: Department of Education, Washington, DC
From: Paul Perkins,
PEProject: AIDACT
Have been observing AIDACT at Brightling Middle School for four weeks now. AIDACT is performing within the expected range of teaching proficiency. Student progress has been acceptable. AIDACT sometimes has difficulty working with students’ wide range of personalities and ability levels but has shown the capacity to adjust in innovative and sometimes unexpected ways. Future goals include smiling more and recognizing common expressions, such as “hitting the ceiling” and “raining cats and dogs.” There have been no security breaches.
PROJECT STATUS: Green
SPECIAL EXPENSES1 venetian blind (installed in classroom)1 heavy-duty suspension upgrade for Toyota Prius”
The number beside their name is the number of chapters they narrated. This book an absolutely wonderful read! The subjects tackled and how Korman goes about them is magnificently executed. As is often the case in Korman’s books, the characters are wonderfully written. The story is very intriguing. I could not put this book down. I was excited to see how Korman would handle the robotic AI teacher, and how the children and parents would take it when the news broke. It was interesting to see how the human teachers started taking advantage of Mr. Aidact. And how he gre through the constant interactions with the children. It was also intriguing to see the insights from Principal Candiotti and Paul Perkins, the project engineer acting as a student teacher, and their interpretations of events as they unfolded.
The thought of an AI as the teacher in a classroom, being able to access all the internet, and responding to and growing from interaction with the pupils is very intriguing. The story has a great pace. The characters are masterfully written. This is a story young readers will greatly enjoy. It is an intriguing premise and Korman executes on it perfectly! Another amazing read from Korman’s pen.
Mid Last year, in the summer of 2022, Korman published his 100th book. Yes you read that correctly, his hundredth book. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read almost 30 of his books. But a drop in the buck, but with each one I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son often reads these books to me or with me. I picked up this to read it the week it released. And now my son is rereading it to me.
My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together a few years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in their copy of the book. Prior to that I had a read a few of his contributions to the 39 Clues series and had enjoyed them. My son and I have mostly been reading his more recent titles. I have read about 25 over the last 6 months. This one took me by surprise and now a few days later I am still thinking about it. Working in IT and AI being one of the buzz words the last few years this story really works well. In the US from Harper Collins and is now in reprint under the Balzer + Bray imprint, and in Canada it is published by Scholastic.
The description of this volume states:
“From Gordon Korman, the bestselling author of Restart and The Unteachables, comes a hilarious new story about a mysterious new teacher who turns out to be an AI robot from a secret experimental program.
Oliver Zahn, spitball champion and self-declared rule-wrecker of Brightling Middle School, is not a fan of his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact. The guy is sort of stiff, never cracks a smile, and refers to them as "pupils." The worst part is he catches Oliver before he can pull any of his signature pranks! It's time for Oliver and his best friend, Nathan, to show the new teacher who's boss.
But as the weeks go by, they start to realize that Mr. Aidact is not what they expected. He has an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics or trivia. When the girls' field hockey team needs a new coach, he suddenly turns out to be an expert. He never complains when other teachers unload work on him--even when it's lunchroom duty and overseeing detention. Against all odds, Mr. Aidact starts to become the most popular teacher at Brightling.
Still, Oliver and Nathan know that something is fishy. They're determined to get to the bottom of the mystery: What's the deal with Mr. Aidact?”
Like many of Korman’s other books this one formost chapters is written in a series of first person narratives. Each chapter title is the name of the narrator for that chapter. There are a couple of other authors I read who use this method, and Korman is one of the masters. The narrators are:
Oliver Zahn - 8
Rosalie Arnette - 8
Nathan Popova - 7
Steinke Newhouse - 2
Principal Candiotti - 4
Nathan Popova - 7
Paul Perkins, PE - 1
There are also a number of chapters that are confidential emails, 7 to be accurate and the Epilogue is a news story from a wire service. A Sample of an email report chapter is:
“CONFIDENTIAL REPORT
To: Department of Education, Washington, DC
From: Paul Perkins,
PEProject: AIDACT
Have been observing AIDACT at Brightling Middle School for four weeks now. AIDACT is performing within the expected range of teaching proficiency. Student progress has been acceptable. AIDACT sometimes has difficulty working with students’ wide range of personalities and ability levels but has shown the capacity to adjust in innovative and sometimes unexpected ways. Future goals include smiling more and recognizing common expressions, such as “hitting the ceiling” and “raining cats and dogs.” There have been no security breaches.
PROJECT STATUS: Green
SPECIAL EXPENSES1 venetian blind (installed in classroom)1 heavy-duty suspension upgrade for Toyota Prius”
The number beside their name is the number of chapters they narrated. This book an absolutely wonderful read! The subjects tackled and how Korman goes about them is magnificently executed. As is often the case in Korman’s books, the characters are wonderfully written. The story is very intriguing. I could not put this book down. I was excited to see how Korman would handle the robotic AI teacher, and how the children and parents would take it when the news broke. It was interesting to see how the human teachers started taking advantage of Mr. Aidact. And how he gre through the constant interactions with the children. It was also intriguing to see the insights from Principal Candiotti and Paul Perkins, the project engineer acting as a student teacher, and their interpretations of events as they unfolded.
The thought of an AI as the teacher in a classroom, being able to access all the internet, and responding to and growing from interaction with the pupils is very intriguing. The story has a great pace. The characters are masterfully written. This is a story young readers will greatly enjoy. It is an intriguing premise and Korman executes on it perfectly! Another amazing read from Korman’s pen.
January 24, 2023
This book is 5 star fun to read, and it is sure to be a hit with middle grade readers as well as adults. My review is going to be relatively short and vague on purpose because you will have more fun reading this book if you do not know all the details. For those of you who happen to have ever taught even one semester in a middle school setting, you are sure to smile knowingly on several pages. Now what kind of teacher could end up being the favorite teacher of every student in the middle school? What kind of teacher would gladly cover the extra-curricular duties of every other faculty member, from detention to lunchroom to bus duty and more? While you might have suspicions about this new guy, you will not be able to predict the touching and heartwarming scenes or the few surprise twists.
May 8, 2025
A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying contemporary story, filled with humor and intrigue for all ages.
✏️ Review ✏️
What a fun, hilarious, and satisfying read! I completely enjoyed The Superteacher Project from the beginning to the end. The characters are so diverse and distinctly defined... and so relatable and funny. 😄 Korman once again excellently executes the multiple POV storyline, giving this story a colorful dynamic. I enjoyed each and every perspective from this story (especially the Oliver & Nathan dynamic — absolutely hilarious!). And I always appreciate how Korman (even though he writes specifically for MG readers) makes his stories so ageless; MG readers, teens, YAs, and even adults can find a resonant chord of enjoyment in his stories. The Superteacher Project certainly will provide a humorous and fun read for any age demographic.
It has has always amazed me how Gordon Korman can use the same setting — a public middle school — over and over again but introduce an entirely different plot to make it so enjoyable, intriguing, captivating, and humorous each and every time. And, yeah, The Superteacher Project is certainly no exception: I was laughing, panicking, and smiling so many times throughout this story. This book's so enjoyable that before I knew it I had read over 100 pages in one sitting!
And, like, Korman introduces and employs the themes so smoothly: What makes humans unique? What makes humans and artificial intelligence (AI) any different from each other? What makes a true friendship? Can strength and teamwork exist even with subtle but major differences? (I'm not answering those questions for you — read the book! 😁). Yep, really enjoyed the themes in this book; and I always like Korman's subtle yet apparent themes — really lends quality to his stories.
Did I convince you to read The Superteacher Project? I sure hope so. It's such a humorous and enjoyable read, I know you'll just love it. ☺️ Oh, and the ending? There was one huge, satisfied grin on my face when I finished reading the last page.... So good.... See ya in the next review! 👋🏼
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The distinctly defined and diverse cast of characters.
• The multiple POVs — adds a colorful dynamic.
• The plot — it's intriguing with many touches of humor.
• The writing style — it's straightforward while also being descriptive and humorous.
• The themes — lends further dimension to the story.
• The story's ending — so well done!
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• (Can't think of anything in particular.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes, of course!*
— To whom? To those who enjoy humorous contemporary stories that have diverse characters, a straightforward writing style, and good underlying themes.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
What a fun, hilarious, and satisfying read! I completely enjoyed The Superteacher Project from the beginning to the end. The characters are so diverse and distinctly defined... and so relatable and funny. 😄 Korman once again excellently executes the multiple POV storyline, giving this story a colorful dynamic. I enjoyed each and every perspective from this story (especially the Oliver & Nathan dynamic — absolutely hilarious!). And I always appreciate how Korman (even though he writes specifically for MG readers) makes his stories so ageless; MG readers, teens, YAs, and even adults can find a resonant chord of enjoyment in his stories. The Superteacher Project certainly will provide a humorous and fun read for any age demographic.
"The new teacher walks to the front of the room. 'Good morning, pupils. I'm Mr. Aidact.'...
AIDACT — he types it onto the Smart Board in foot-high letters. And what's with 'pupils'? What is this — 1870? Does he commute to school by covered wagon?"
It has has always amazed me how Gordon Korman can use the same setting — a public middle school — over and over again but introduce an entirely different plot to make it so enjoyable, intriguing, captivating, and humorous each and every time. And, yeah, The Superteacher Project is certainly no exception: I was laughing, panicking, and smiling so many times throughout this story. This book's so enjoyable that before I knew it I had read over 100 pages in one sitting!
And, like, Korman introduces and employs the themes so smoothly: What makes humans unique? What makes humans and artificial intelligence (AI) any different from each other? What makes a true friendship? Can strength and teamwork exist even with subtle but major differences? (I'm not answering those questions for you — read the book! 😁). Yep, really enjoyed the themes in this book; and I always like Korman's subtle yet apparent themes — really lends quality to his stories.
Did I convince you to read The Superteacher Project? I sure hope so. It's such a humorous and enjoyable read, I know you'll just love it. ☺️ Oh, and the ending? There was one huge, satisfied grin on my face when I finished reading the last page.... So good.... See ya in the next review! 👋🏼
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The distinctly defined and diverse cast of characters.
• The multiple POVs — adds a colorful dynamic.
• The plot — it's intriguing with many touches of humor.
• The writing style — it's straightforward while also being descriptive and humorous.
• The themes — lends further dimension to the story.
• The story's ending — so well done!
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• (Can't think of anything in particular.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes, of course!*
— To whom? To those who enjoy humorous contemporary stories that have diverse characters, a straightforward writing style, and good underlying themes.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
April 6, 2023
THE SUPERTEACHER PROJECT
Gordon Korman
Well, this was a quick and silly read so certainly I enjoyed it. Middle schooler Oliver Zahn fancies himself a rule wrecker and sets about to destroy the rule about a big wheeler being ridden in the halls of his middle school. He is also sure his buddy Nathan will help him and even more sure that there is something not quite right about his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact.
But Mr. Aidact is one observant guy and even better than that the teachers at school love him because he never complains about anything. They (the teachers) give him so much to complain about because they dump their responsibilities on him all the time. Surely he will become the favorite teacher of the students as well as the teachers! Or maybe not. But Oliver and Nathan are sure to find out what is wrong with Mr. Aidact.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Gordon Korman
Well, this was a quick and silly read so certainly I enjoyed it. Middle schooler Oliver Zahn fancies himself a rule wrecker and sets about to destroy the rule about a big wheeler being ridden in the halls of his middle school. He is also sure his buddy Nathan will help him and even more sure that there is something not quite right about his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact.
But Mr. Aidact is one observant guy and even better than that the teachers at school love him because he never complains about anything. They (the teachers) give him so much to complain about because they dump their responsibilities on him all the time. Surely he will become the favorite teacher of the students as well as the teachers! Or maybe not. But Oliver and Nathan are sure to find out what is wrong with Mr. Aidact.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
August 13, 2024
One of my favourite authors fr
Nice little book 😁
Nice little book 😁
September 29, 2025
How does Korman do it? This is another out of the box and throughly enjoyable story!
Characters:
Oliver was cracking me up with all his rule breaking and his intro was hilarious! Nathan was fun too...lol...I've been in situations where I wondered why I was following someone around, it took my mom noticing and pulling me aside before I found my own feet and decided to be my own person. I would have liked to have seen Nathan do that for himself...but Oliver did have somewhat of a turnaround by the end of the book at least.
Mr. Aidact was a lovable character and I enjoyed him so much...he made me laugh so many times. XD And Mr. Perkins...lol...
Romance:
Just Maya in detention that talks about here ex-boyfriend...lol...which turns out to be a funny situation.
Language:
I'm sure there were some side words that kids use these days...but I didn't keep track of them.
Violence/Gore:
Some practical pranks, a characters gets a concussion and there's a race to the hospital but the whole ordeal is rather comical.
Overall:
This story is so much! From the rumors that go around school, to the pranks that Oliver tries to pull, to the heartwarming teamwork that comes at the end and the short epilogue that rounds out the whole story! I enjoyed it so much!
Recommended for ages 9+
Characters:
Oliver was cracking me up with all his rule breaking and his intro was hilarious! Nathan was fun too...lol...I've been in situations where I wondered why I was following someone around, it took my mom noticing and pulling me aside before I found my own feet and decided to be my own person. I would have liked to have seen Nathan do that for himself...but Oliver did have somewhat of a turnaround by the end of the book at least.
Mr. Aidact was a lovable character and I enjoyed him so much...he made me laugh so many times. XD And Mr. Perkins...lol...
Romance:
Just Maya in detention that talks about here ex-boyfriend...lol...which turns out to be a funny situation.
Language:
I'm sure there were some side words that kids use these days...but I didn't keep track of them.
Violence/Gore:
Some practical pranks, a characters gets a concussion and there's a race to the hospital but the whole ordeal is rather comical.
Overall:
This story is so much! From the rumors that go around school, to the pranks that Oliver tries to pull, to the heartwarming teamwork that comes at the end and the short epilogue that rounds out the whole story! I enjoyed it so much!
Recommended for ages 9+
June 2, 2023
Easily the BEST, most blissfully fun novel I have read all year (out of 117 read and counting). And saying that for the latest Gordon Korman middle-school masterpiece, its almost a no-brainer. Last year I devoured 30+ books of his in a nonstop consecutive reading-binge... this year I just read this one book that he has last published, and it is far and away the most enjoyable thing I have read in '23 till now. LOVED every single of those heartfelt, humorous, thoughtful, ethical words.
Ahh, the feels!
Definitely can't say the same thing for many of my favorite or once-favorite authors anymore, but this guy literally just gets better and better with his each newly written novel and yet another juvenile masterpiece fiction. Brilliant. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
A clear 10 out of 10. A+.
Definitely can't say the same thing for many of my favorite or once-favorite authors anymore, but this guy literally just gets better and better with his each newly written novel and yet another juvenile masterpiece fiction. Brilliant. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
A clear 10 out of 10. A+.
May 9, 2023
I read this as a read aloud to my 11-year old as our bedtime bonding book and it sparked lots of interesting conversations. Classic Gordon Korman with lots of different voices. This was a solid premise that had us discussing if this could actually be possible in our lifetime (and the big answer is yes, absolutely). Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
April 10, 2023
A fun little book. I saw the twist coming from the very first... but I'm also over twice the intended reader age. And I read a lot of science fiction.
Even though I knew where we were going I still enjoyed getting there. Gordon Korman can always be relied upon to write a fun story!
Even though I knew where we were going I still enjoyed getting there. Gordon Korman can always be relied upon to write a fun story!
July 9, 2023
Honestly, I think middle grade readers will love this book. It was well written and fun and even heartwarming at times. Lots of different characters to follow and lots of hijinks. Definitely interested in checking out more by this author.
March 28, 2024
I LOVED this book because Of the characters Oliver, Nathan, And Mr. Aidact (Oliver Nathan). The way Gordon Korman made Oliver a trouble Maker and Nathan the Person who just follows him and helps is a really good aspect. All the things Oliver and Nathan did were Iconic.
March 1, 2024
Science-fiction-lite, middle-grade, comedy of errors
This book was published in 2023, right in the midst of the current furor in the news media over the political and social implications of the rapidly expanding influence in our lives of artificial intelligence (AI). Since the publisher's blurb for this novel states clearly that this is a comedy about an experimental AI robot, I have no problem putting that in this review. Even though, technically, that information is very much a spoiler, and I will be labeling this review as such.
Aidact is a $250,000,000 experimental robot, which has been commissioned by the US Department of Education. (Right away, this significant premise of the story makes it difficult for any adult reading this novel to suspend disbelief, given the reality that such a thing would never be funded by Congress. For the military? Yes, very possibly. For the benefit of public education? No way.) Aidact is as accomplished as any comicbook superhero. He has super strength, super speed, super sight, and super dexterity. He has instant access, as long as the internet is not down, with every available fact in the known universe, and he can instantly sort through trillions of pieces of discreet information to uncover the most salient portions in order to solve whatever problem is currently before him. He is capable of learning from his environment and tailoring his behavior to suit the human beings he is serving, which allows him to appear to people of all ages as an extremely empathetic and entertaining companion. Since Aidact has been placed, for a trial run, in a public middle school, with students ages 11-13, none of whom have any idea he is not an actual person, many hilarious situations occur because of this misunderstanding.
A lifelike, humanoid, AI-driven robot such as Aidact, who gradually evolves into sentience, is a popular trope in science fiction. Typically such robots are situated in the far future, because no such robots exist at the present time. But this story is set in 2023, when this book was published, and for that reason, it takes some heavy suspension of disbelief (which no doubt the youthful intended audience for this story will have no problem with), to get into the swing of things with Aidact. Having, myself, recently read the wonderful Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, I found this story to be an entertaining, simplified version of that sophisticated series. The main difference is that, in the MW stories, we get to experience the POV of the robot, Murderbot. In this story, we only get to know Aidact by what everyone in his near vicinity thinks about him. But as far as the kids are concerned, he is definitely a superteacher.
I experienced this novel as an audiobook, which I obtained for free through Hoopla. As seems to be the case for all of Gordon Korman's novels, because they are all written from multiple POVs, multiple different, talented voice actors portray the different POV characters. This makes for a very enjoyable listening experience, which enhances one's experience of an already delightful novel.
This book was published in 2023, right in the midst of the current furor in the news media over the political and social implications of the rapidly expanding influence in our lives of artificial intelligence (AI). Since the publisher's blurb for this novel states clearly that this is a comedy about an experimental AI robot, I have no problem putting that in this review. Even though, technically, that information is very much a spoiler, and I will be labeling this review as such.
Aidact is a $250,000,000 experimental robot, which has been commissioned by the US Department of Education. (Right away, this significant premise of the story makes it difficult for any adult reading this novel to suspend disbelief, given the reality that such a thing would never be funded by Congress. For the military? Yes, very possibly. For the benefit of public education? No way.) Aidact is as accomplished as any comicbook superhero. He has super strength, super speed, super sight, and super dexterity. He has instant access, as long as the internet is not down, with every available fact in the known universe, and he can instantly sort through trillions of pieces of discreet information to uncover the most salient portions in order to solve whatever problem is currently before him. He is capable of learning from his environment and tailoring his behavior to suit the human beings he is serving, which allows him to appear to people of all ages as an extremely empathetic and entertaining companion. Since Aidact has been placed, for a trial run, in a public middle school, with students ages 11-13, none of whom have any idea he is not an actual person, many hilarious situations occur because of this misunderstanding.
A lifelike, humanoid, AI-driven robot such as Aidact, who gradually evolves into sentience, is a popular trope in science fiction. Typically such robots are situated in the far future, because no such robots exist at the present time. But this story is set in 2023, when this book was published, and for that reason, it takes some heavy suspension of disbelief (which no doubt the youthful intended audience for this story will have no problem with), to get into the swing of things with Aidact. Having, myself, recently read the wonderful Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, I found this story to be an entertaining, simplified version of that sophisticated series. The main difference is that, in the MW stories, we get to experience the POV of the robot, Murderbot. In this story, we only get to know Aidact by what everyone in his near vicinity thinks about him. But as far as the kids are concerned, he is definitely a superteacher.
I experienced this novel as an audiobook, which I obtained for free through Hoopla. As seems to be the case for all of Gordon Korman's novels, because they are all written from multiple POVs, multiple different, talented voice actors portray the different POV characters. This makes for a very enjoyable listening experience, which enhances one's experience of an already delightful novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2023
This book was a fun read and definitely one that I will add to my school library.
Each chapter is narrated by a different character in the story, most being the middle school students.
Mr. AIDACT is the new teacher, he's a little "stiff" but eventually the "pupils" start to make a connection with him. It's like he's superhuman and is one of them; however a couple of the "pupils" are starting to figure out that something just isn't right.
The epilogue is sure to bring a smile, or an oopsy, to your face, as it did mine.
Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's books for the read.
Each chapter is narrated by a different character in the story, most being the middle school students.
Mr. AIDACT is the new teacher, he's a little "stiff" but eventually the "pupils" start to make a connection with him. It's like he's superhuman and is one of them; however a couple of the "pupils" are starting to figure out that something just isn't right.
The epilogue is sure to bring a smile, or an oopsy, to your face, as it did mine.
Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's books for the read.
January 18, 2025
This was a great book you should definitely try it out if you want middle school fun, thrills, and surprises.
May 11, 2025
what purpose does this serve other than tech/AI propaganda? you couldn’t have written this “accept and protect those different from you” story about actual living people?
December 6, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Brightling Middle School is a bustling place with lots going on. Oliver and his friend Nathan are always deeply involved in perpetrating pranks. Principal Candiotti hopes that the girls' field hockey team will someday have the same kind of winning season her own Brightling team did in the 1980s. Rosalie Arnette is on the field hockey team and shares this hope, but also has to deal with her newly divorced mother who is throwing herself into PTA work, and trying to get the students to sell flax-based snack bars for a fundraiser. Add to this mix a new teacher, Mr. Aidact, and his "student teacher", the "Boomer aged" Mr. Perkins, and funny things start to happen. Mr. Aidact seems able to know just when Oliver is going to shoot a spitball (a skill at which he excels) and can identify him as the mastermind behind a remote controlled car prank. The teacher also seems to know everything, and can keep up with students quoting rap song lyrics. He's a little odd, referring to students as "pupils" and showing little emotion, but the other teachers take to him because he does their duties without complaining. He ends up covering after school detention WHILE running clubs, and also is brought in to coach the field hockey team, where he does an excellent job, even though he knew nothing about field hockey. He even catches the eye of Rosalie's mother! Mr. Perkins isn't happy about all of these additional duties, and we eventually discover why. Mr. Aidact's behavior comes under scrutiny as rumors swirl around him and the field hockey team advances. Instead of fighting him, Oliver and Nathan come up with a plan to help Mr. Aidact live his best life, even if it is no longer at Brightling.
Strengths: This was a fun, relatively problem free romp, and I don't want to spoil the twists and turns, although it's pretty easy to guess what is going on with the teacher. Oliver is more of a Greg Heffley character, who is a little more evil in his pursuit of pranks, while Nathan is a good foil who tries to rein him in a bit, ala Big Nate. This is told from different viewpoints, and Rosalie's perspective is much more focused on Mr. Aidact as a way for her team to be successful. There are good set pieces, like riding Big Wheels in the school hallways mainly because it is against the written rules, and a lot of heart as the boys work to save Mr. Aidact. Again, it's hard to review this without giving too much away!
Weaknesses: The multiple perspective format is never my favorite, and this book in particular would have been more successful for me had I seen everything from Oliver's viewpoint and concentrated on his growth. The limited perspective would have put a completely different spin on the book, so I can see why Korman wanted to include chapters from the principal, Mr. Perkins, and other characters.
What I really think: There are so many Korman titles, and they all are good, but if I had to put them in order, I would rank this one with Whatshisname and Notorious, with books like Ungifted and Linked ones that I like a little bit more.
Brightling Middle School is a bustling place with lots going on. Oliver and his friend Nathan are always deeply involved in perpetrating pranks. Principal Candiotti hopes that the girls' field hockey team will someday have the same kind of winning season her own Brightling team did in the 1980s. Rosalie Arnette is on the field hockey team and shares this hope, but also has to deal with her newly divorced mother who is throwing herself into PTA work, and trying to get the students to sell flax-based snack bars for a fundraiser. Add to this mix a new teacher, Mr. Aidact, and his "student teacher", the "Boomer aged" Mr. Perkins, and funny things start to happen. Mr. Aidact seems able to know just when Oliver is going to shoot a spitball (a skill at which he excels) and can identify him as the mastermind behind a remote controlled car prank. The teacher also seems to know everything, and can keep up with students quoting rap song lyrics. He's a little odd, referring to students as "pupils" and showing little emotion, but the other teachers take to him because he does their duties without complaining. He ends up covering after school detention WHILE running clubs, and also is brought in to coach the field hockey team, where he does an excellent job, even though he knew nothing about field hockey. He even catches the eye of Rosalie's mother! Mr. Perkins isn't happy about all of these additional duties, and we eventually discover why. Mr. Aidact's behavior comes under scrutiny as rumors swirl around him and the field hockey team advances. Instead of fighting him, Oliver and Nathan come up with a plan to help Mr. Aidact live his best life, even if it is no longer at Brightling.
Strengths: This was a fun, relatively problem free romp, and I don't want to spoil the twists and turns, although it's pretty easy to guess what is going on with the teacher. Oliver is more of a Greg Heffley character, who is a little more evil in his pursuit of pranks, while Nathan is a good foil who tries to rein him in a bit, ala Big Nate. This is told from different viewpoints, and Rosalie's perspective is much more focused on Mr. Aidact as a way for her team to be successful. There are good set pieces, like riding Big Wheels in the school hallways mainly because it is against the written rules, and a lot of heart as the boys work to save Mr. Aidact. Again, it's hard to review this without giving too much away!
Weaknesses: The multiple perspective format is never my favorite, and this book in particular would have been more successful for me had I seen everything from Oliver's viewpoint and concentrated on his growth. The limited perspective would have put a completely different spin on the book, so I can see why Korman wanted to include chapters from the principal, Mr. Perkins, and other characters.
What I really think: There are so many Korman titles, and they all are good, but if I had to put them in order, I would rank this one with Whatshisname and Notorious, with books like Ungifted and Linked ones that I like a little bit more.
July 1, 2025
Hahahahaaaaa!!!! This book was so funny!!!😆😂🤣 Oliver and Nathan’s friendship just made me smile.
Oliver:
lol Oliver is definitely my favorite-hilarious. The way he describes his pranks and jokes as the most important thing created was great, haha!👌And how Mr. Aidact got on his nerves…..lol
Nathan:
Nathan never once asked to get swept up in one of Oliver’s shenanigans, and it was hilarious how he completely ignored the “Oliver Alarm”. I wanted to be Nathan’s friend lol he was the greatest.
Rosalie:
Rosalie, SHES AWESOOOOME!!! She’s kinda like me honestly, it was great to FINALLY find a book character I could relate to. Those are hard to find!!!
I just plain wanted to hug these characters!!! (Not that Oliver would appreciate that) 😁 Mr. Aidact definitely threw me for a loop though. I won’t tell you how though because I don’t want to spoil the entirety of the book hehehe. You should definitely read this book if you want great characters and a story with quite the twist!!!!🙌👏🙌
Oliver:
lol Oliver is definitely my favorite-hilarious. The way he describes his pranks and jokes as the most important thing created was great, haha!👌And how Mr. Aidact got on his nerves…..lol
Nathan:
Nathan never once asked to get swept up in one of Oliver’s shenanigans, and it was hilarious how he completely ignored the “Oliver Alarm”. I wanted to be Nathan’s friend lol he was the greatest.
Rosalie:
Rosalie, SHES AWESOOOOME!!! She’s kinda like me honestly, it was great to FINALLY find a book character I could relate to. Those are hard to find!!!
I just plain wanted to hug these characters!!! (Not that Oliver would appreciate that) 😁 Mr. Aidact definitely threw me for a loop though. I won’t tell you how though because I don’t want to spoil the entirety of the book hehehe. You should definitely read this book if you want great characters and a story with quite the twist!!!!🙌👏🙌
January 8, 2023
A new teacher who can do and knows everything isn’t what he seems.
👨🏫
Oliver and Nathan are used to cutting up in class, getting others off task, but when he gets a new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact, all rules must be followed and obeyed at all times. This throws Oliver and Nathan off their game, but everyone else seems to love the new teacher. He’s covering classes—an expert in all of them, teaching multiple subjects, coaching field hockey and never complains. It’s almost like he’s superhuman! What’s the deal with this teacher?
🍎
Gordon Korman is releasing his 101st book with The Superteacher Project. This title reminded me of Whatshisname and Notorious, fun and lighthearted books by Korman that kids will read and enjoy. The main character reminds me of Greg Heffley and the kids from Captain Underpants—both popular series with my middle schoolers so this title will fit right in. It also brings up the issue of AI, which is a topical discussion right now with ChatGPT releasing. This MG novel releases Jan. 10!
I like when Gorman writes books like Linked and Restart. This was a silly one that kids will enjoy, but I like his titles with a deeper message.
👨🏫
Oliver and Nathan are used to cutting up in class, getting others off task, but when he gets a new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact, all rules must be followed and obeyed at all times. This throws Oliver and Nathan off their game, but everyone else seems to love the new teacher. He’s covering classes—an expert in all of them, teaching multiple subjects, coaching field hockey and never complains. It’s almost like he’s superhuman! What’s the deal with this teacher?
🍎
Gordon Korman is releasing his 101st book with The Superteacher Project. This title reminded me of Whatshisname and Notorious, fun and lighthearted books by Korman that kids will read and enjoy. The main character reminds me of Greg Heffley and the kids from Captain Underpants—both popular series with my middle schoolers so this title will fit right in. It also brings up the issue of AI, which is a topical discussion right now with ChatGPT releasing. This MG novel releases Jan. 10!
I like when Gorman writes books like Linked and Restart. This was a silly one that kids will enjoy, but I like his titles with a deeper message.
January 26, 2026
The fact that Gordon Korman can write so clearly and convincingly about school—without ever having been a teacher—is truly amazing. The stories he creates aren’t far-fetched at all; as a teacher myself, I can easily believe many of these events could actually happen in a real school setting. The Super Teacher Project feels very new age, blending science fiction elements like robots and technology into a school environment in a way that honestly doesn’t feel that far-fetched.
This book stays true to classic Korman style with its multiple perspectives, which help keep the story moving at a great pace. Of all the characters, Steinke might be one of my favorites, but what really stood out was how the students grew over the story. They all come from different social circles and mold into a unified group working together to save their favorite teacher. Korman had me laughing early on, and that humor carried through the story.
While it wasn’t my all-time favorite Korman book, I still genuinely enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to upper elementary and middle-grade readers who enjoy school stories with a twist.
This book stays true to classic Korman style with its multiple perspectives, which help keep the story moving at a great pace. Of all the characters, Steinke might be one of my favorites, but what really stood out was how the students grew over the story. They all come from different social circles and mold into a unified group working together to save their favorite teacher. Korman had me laughing early on, and that humor carried through the story.
While it wasn’t my all-time favorite Korman book, I still genuinely enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to upper elementary and middle-grade readers who enjoy school stories with a twist.
February 10, 2023
An easy to read, middle grades novel that brings up the possibility of robot teachers and all that AI can do. Middle grades readers will enjoy this story. While the use of multiple perspectives didn’t allow for much character growth, I appreciated the inclusion of chapters told from the “student teacher” and principal’s perspective.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.
February 11, 2023
Read as an audiobook. I liked that they used more than one narrator for the different character chapters. This was a fun, easy to read and easy to pick the storyline book with interesting characters and an interesting take on the possibilities of AI in education, the questions around where do we draw the line between a toaster and artificial learning intelligence. There was some good philosophy of what it is to be human and the ethics of AI in amongst the easy read.
October 23, 2025
تصور میکردم موضوع کتاب تربیتی یا همچین چیزیه و با همین دید و به همین خاطر انتخابش کردم، ولی اشتباه میکردم.
گره داستان از صفحه اول هم قابل حدس بود، ولی باز هم روندش رو پسندیدم، مخصوصا اون اواخر. هرچند، نمیدونم درباره نتیجهگیریش چه احساسی داشته باشم.
نمیدونم چرا فامیلهای همه اینقدر عجیب بود. تقریبا هیچکدوم رو قبلا نشنیده بودم. آیا عمدی در کار بود و پیامی داشت یا صرفا اسمهای عادی و ناآشنایی بودن؟ نمیدونم والا. فعلا هم حوصله ندارم که برم بگردم.
گره داستان از صفحه اول هم قابل حدس بود، ولی باز هم روندش رو پسندیدم، مخصوصا اون اواخر. هرچند، نمیدونم درباره نتیجهگیریش چه احساسی داشته باشم.
نمیدونم چرا فامیلهای همه اینقدر عجیب بود. تقریبا هیچکدوم رو قبلا نشنیده بودم. آیا عمدی در کار بود و پیامی داشت یا صرفا اسمهای عادی و ناآشنایی بودن؟ نمیدونم والا. فعلا هم حوصله ندارم که برم بگردم.
October 15, 2023
I love Gordon Korman but this effort just fell short of the mark. While the plot was 21st century the characters and dialog seemed a bit anachronistic. I worked in a middle school for 12 years and never saw a spitball. And does anyone know what "Hoovering" means anymore, let alone a modern day 7th grader? Try Restart or Operation Do Over instead.
August 1, 2024
A fun read about middle school kids who get a new teacher who at first they dislike, but overtime they start to really love. However as they get to know him, they start to realize there is something different about him. Characters were relatable and even the fact that the teacher is a robot running on AI doesn’t seem too far fetched at this point.
March 9, 2025
297 pgs. This is an interesting realistic/humorous fiction book. The age of the characters is seventh grade and the situation they are in will keep you reading through the end. The chapters flip back and forth between many characters, including the principal so a reader can get to know these characters very well throughout the book. I highly recommend it to students in grades 5 through middle school. It will definitely spark discussion about robots, AI, and more. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2023
Simply wonderful!!! I loved the humour. I loved the characters. I loved this!!!
February 13, 2023
Let me preface this review by stating I read this title as an e-ARC from NetGalley. I'm grateful for the opportunity to assess this book before purchasing it for my school library. I enjoy Gordon Korman's books and novels that have multiple perspectives; "Ungifted" is one of my favorites. This one doesn't rank as high. While I think students will enjoy the concept of a robot teacher and relate to most of the characters, I don't think this title is as "meaty" as most of Korman's works.
February 23, 2023
I only read this for a book group my ELA hosts. I thought it was incredibly childish and painfully obvious that an old man wrote it; however, I do recommend it for ages 8-11.
April 21, 2023
Another great Gordon Korman story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews