The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield

by Kathy Cooperman

From Kathy Cooperman, the bestselling author of Crimes Against a Book Club, comes a comedy about a woman with good intentions who makes some very bad decisions.

Maggie Mayfield, an elementary school principal in the upscale suburbs of San Diego, likes to do the right thing—for her students and, after her marriage takes a hit, for herself as well. What’s wrong with that?

To keep her cash-strapped school afloat, Maggie says yes to a sweet deal from Silicon Valley’s hottest for-profit education company. They’ll provide enough funding so that Maggie can keep her science, art, and PE teachers in exchange for some dopey beta-test program backed by handsome CEO Danny Z. No layoffs! Happy kids!

Professionally, everything’s flourishing. Personally, the right things are tingling—Maggie can’t resist Danny Z’s magnetism. But as the school year continues, Maggie senses that she might have been duped. As things take a turn for the worse, Maggie and her BFF assistant, Diane, must keep things good—by going a little bad.

Smart, funny, and unpredictable, The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield is a comedy of friendship, class warfare, good intentions, and occasionally necessary unprincipled behavior.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, Audiobook, Friendship

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2018

Reviews

[Mackenzie - PhDiva Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky and adorable romp, I am charmed and delighted by The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield. Grab yourself a box of your favorite chocolates and take the day off to read this one—you will be charmed by Maggie and the gang!! With a refreshing mix of social conscience some cuckoo twists, this one had me laughing along the whole way. I think readers will adore Maggie as much as I did!

For my full review check out my blog PhDiva.blog!

About the Book

Maggie Mayfield is the principal of a San Diego elementary school. The community has recently fallen on some hard times, and many families are relying on Maggie’s school more than ever to help their kids learn and grow. When budget cuts loom, Maggie fears that she’ll have to lose some important teachers and classes in science, art, and P.E.

So when for-profit education firm Edutek offers Maggie enough funding to cover her STEAM budget needs for the next five years, in exchange for beta testing their new math curriculum software, Maggie feels the offer is too good to pass up. And it doesn’t hurt that the CEO Danny Z is hot hot hot, and could charm the smile off the school’s worm mascot!

But sometimes things seem to good to be true because they are, and Maggie soon finds out something about the MathPal software that makes her question whether she should have allowed her school to participate at all. Now Maggie and her fearless friend and colleague Diane will have to get a little bad to do some good. And it may involve breaking all of the rules!

Reflection

Maggie Mayfield is a hoot! She’s a mix of stern, loving, kooky, relatable, and fierce. She’s a woman who can fix a vomit stain on an evening gown, recover from a sex scandal, and wrangle a few curious kids away from a playground snake without batting an eye. Maggie is the sort of person that you can’t help but love. At times I wanted to give her a loving smack on the head after some poor choices (but luckily we had Diane there to do that for us)!

Some chapters are narrated by Lucy Wong, a third grader at Maggie’s school who suffers from challenges making friends and living up to her mother’s academic expectations. Lucy is the smartest girl in her grade, but sometimes that means she has trouble relating to others. I found Lucy’s chapters charming, seeing how a third grader reacts to the social dynamics around her was adorable and made me think about how kids pick up on so much more than we give them credit for. Lucy’s story stole my heart!

The actual plot surrounding the educational software and the way for-profit education companies pray on not only the districts who want to help children, but the kids themselves—well it was a bit too real. I worked in education research before this and you would be shocked by the number of companies that make money off of educational “research” on kids at school. Those schools are like a glorified rat lab with experiments deemed to have benefit to the kids skewing data to make theirs look like the technology or intervention that made the difference.

Cooperman did a fantastic job with the plot here. I completely understood Maggie’s difficult position, and I empathized with her decisions. Maggie didn’t make a single decision in the book lightly. Those kids and their futures meant everything to Maggie!

And then we have the truth coming out. I can’t spoil it by suffice it to say the end of this book was wild, wacky, and positively delightful! It swung all the way out there for the grand finale, and it made me whoop with delight when I read it! There is no way going in I expected THAT ending, so let’s just say every moment until the very last page made this book completely worth it!

Thank you so much to the team at Amazon Publishing and Lake Union for my copy to review.

[J_McA 251 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked most of this book very much. As a former teacher, I can honestly say that the author was spot on with a lot of descriptions, bringing back some fond (and not so fond) memories. Maggie’s description of child’s mind being like a mansion is so accurate. The best moments were the teacher/student interactions. The scenes with Miss Pearl/Rachel and Mr. Baran/Connor perfectly encapsulated what teaching should be all about: reaching a child in a manner that they can relate to and grow with. On the flip side, in my experiences, district administration definitely looks a lot like Arlene; it’s all about climbing the educational ladder without paying dues, and then making decisions without any consideration for the classroom. The struggle with having to develop engaging curriculum only to have it pushed aside for standardized testing also is real. My only criticism was that the end seemed to veer off from reality a little bit too much. While some of it certainly seemed plausible, there were a few details that were too over the top for me. All in all, however, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good story, but especially to teachers. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Den · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this if you like books about: chick-lit, inadequate education funding, quirky characters, Tech giants, beta testing, Silicone Valley execs, preppers

[Fluff Smut & Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved past Kathy Cooperman books and her latest is just adorable as well. Now that my only is off at college, reading this took me back to the elementary school right down the street and the fundraising, alpha moms, blatant requests for money, tiger moms, and constant requests for donations.

I really don't miss those days.

But this book .....its so fricken funny. I love Diane. I love Maggie. I love Lars, Since I really can't get a sequel, is it too much to ask for a prequel of Diane's life? I laughed and snickered out loud while reading multiple times as I grew to completely understand Maggie - except for her total and complete naivete about the world of business.

Predictable in some parts... random characters in other (the gym teacher and his Judge wife? Rachael and Lucy's friendship?) but a fun fluffy school time read.

Overall Grade: B

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intelligent chick-lit: something I haven't seen in a while!

I haven't typically picked chick-lit books lately because they seem pretty shallow and easy to predict. This novel has thicker, deeper characters and a more intelligent voice than any of this genre that I've read in a long while. It was a funny read without being that exhausting sort that tries to make an obscure reference every ten words. This is just how the character thinks and it happens to be funny.

If you're a teacher, former teacher, or in education, this is a funny read for you. The author clearly consulted with many in the education world and hit the tone of the teacher/admin's rosy perspective almost perfectly. I am an ELL teacher, so I'm all around the school all day. Many of the details were spot on.... but she idealized it a little bit. Not enough complaining and venting from the teaching staff and admins ;-)

The love story was fine, but I was never convinced it would work out. What could she possibly love about Danny? She didn't show actual love in her language, either, just lust and infatuation. Obviously, he never truly loved her, either. Worldly selfishness prevents love as service and this is a clear (albeit constructed) example.

Interesting ending. It's the only way it could have happened for the mood of the book. I winced out loud when they decided on their course of action. The seeker of justice in me wishes they had faced the court for their crime. The reader who likes a red bow on well-fleshed characters gives it a thumbs up.

[Kathy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually LOVED this book, although it was not what I was expecting. - Thought it might have a thread from the first book.

Maggie Mayfield is school Principal and her main objective is teaching the students at her school, making sure they get the best education possilbe, without any teachers losing their jobs. I can relate as my sister is an Art Teacher and they are always the first to be laid off, which is a constant worry.

BUT, along comes MathPal, with a sure fire way to teach the students and raise funds for the strapped school system. But with the MathPal also included is their star DannyZ, who plans on getting rich off of this latest technology. Maggie objected to the intrusion and disruption of this gizmo, but DannyZ was looking better each day!

This takes us to DannyZ's mega-rich boss and his Wyoming over the top bunker made for the Apocalypse. Upon their personal jetted tour with Maggie and her friend Diane, it seems Diane has found a striking attraction to Hank, who works at the Wyoming safe house.

Of course, there is always the problem of her ex-husband lurking in the background, which complicates the situation, but adds a lively character to the theme.

The drama, the laughs - who could forget that Thanksgiving dinner! It was pure delight for me to read and sink into the daily drama of Maggie Mayfield.

I recommend this thoroughly for all readers - who would enjoy the ups and downs of a school principal

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treat. I want a friend like Diane. A woman who keeps a menagerie of her dead husband's odd pets, works at a school, and runs a prepper blog. I actually liked her more than Maggie, the main character of this interesting novel about a school, an entrepreneur, and ethics. Maggie's an interesting woman- and so is her ex-husband btw. She's determined to do the best by the kids at her school even if it means using a tech tool in order to get the needed funds for, among other things, an art teacher. Danny, the entrepreneur, well, he's not as principled as Maggie. There's a few nice vignettes with students- Lucy and Rachel in particular - and you will likely recognize some of the others from your own life. This one was surprising in spots and none more so than the end. I hated the end. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. This is a good read and you, unlike me, might think the end is perfect and then give it five stars.

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fun read, with a humor reminiscent of Where'd You Go, Bernadette. However, unlike Maria Semple's book this one had a conclusion that, even though it fit the tone of the story and had been foreshadowed, left me disappointed. It also had one glaring plot hole that I could not ignore and that still nags me days after I finished it.

[Quartknee · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an unreliable narrator! Maggie lies to herself and everyone else and drags us along for the ride. This is a case of the "too dumb to live" trope, except she does live and I'm left to wonder why.

As presented, Maggie Mayfield is disgusting and delusional. She says all the "right things" about being a kid-centric administrator but she's just a selfish, self-righteous and egotistical person. Her words and actions don't match when she says she's focused on doing what's best for the kids at her school.

The play on words in the title belies the irony of Maggie Mayfield because she has no principles whatsoever - at least based on actions. The principled thing to do would be to speak up at every step of the project but instead, she talks herself out of doing the right thing at every turn for a variety of very selfish reasons.

If she had any integrity, instead of raising objections, Maggie would have at least inquired about the math-to-game ratios and how they were developed. She never once leveraged her romantic position to help save her kids from the time-suck of the Mathpal.

She was told things were a moving target but never sought to influence the development of the program directly. She could have suggested that her teachers add their feedback, critiques, or suggestions for improvements. Not that they were wanted nor asked for but what kind of program is this? If she was principled, she'd speak up more.

She could have talked to the parents about her concerns and have them raise the issues at the district meetings. The plot still could have progressed as it did with the stakes being raised throughout. As it is, the school is losing its funding after the year anyway so the only thing Maggie had at stake was her integrity, self-worth, and pride - all of which she tossed out quickly before the inciting incident.

The political rants about budgets and having to do without some things to meet state mandates to teach to the tests all get to be a bit much in the first half of the book. It's all the more annoying when her boyfriend has to explain to her what an opportunity cost is. Seriously? Isn't she supposed to be a college grad?

Opportunity cost is a basic concept covered in Econ 101 that every college freshman is required to take. But we're supposed to believe she got her degrees and administrative credentials without ever having to understand what it is. Opportunity Cost is something she deals with every day in her work and it's something she's constantly complaining about every few chapters.

For all the female empowerment messaging in the earliest parts of the book, it's offensive that a man has to explain such a basic concept to her. It's even more offensive when he has to explain the real stakes and consequences of her actions for her.

Right before the climactic sequence, when Maggie and Diane are going through their options of how to handle the discovery of the Edutek malfeasance, they come up with three ways to go - except they never even consider the most obvious one that could be a win for all three parties involved.

It made me so mad that I put down my Kindle and thought of two more options and thus I guessed what would happen, though her taking the chicken way out was a bit of a twist but not a surprise.

Taking the laziest option is something Maggie did throughout the whole book so why change and initiate a difficult conversation at the end when she can just jump to conclusions and dash off to her friend Diane? The setup with the reporter at the party gave away the payoff at the climax so I understand why the author needed things to play out as they did. But in terms of Maggie making those decisions and getting us to the climax, it felt too rushed and forced. She never learned her lessons so the ending felt too tidy and tacked on.

As far as I can tell, she had zero character arc beyond her sexual awakening and her physical circumstances which the opening and closing images in the differing schoolyards illustrates quite well.

The frustrating thing about this book is that it has a strong premise and some very well drawn and unique characters. The stuff with the kids blossoming under the care and focus of the school staff was completely irrelevant as none of it ever offered a real counterpoint or contrast to the scenes with the adults or Maggie. You could make the case that the author included them to show the extra steps the teachers took to help their students thrive but that type of characterization could have been better accomplished in scenes that propelled the plot.

The setup/payoff with the ex-husband was handled well, I just wish the same treatment was applied to the kid's storylines as well.

If you're a shallow feminist, you might enjoy this story but the fact that men have to educate and save Maggie at the end ruined it for me. She abdicates her agency every chance she can - mostly to Diane - and acts so passive-aggressively throughout that Maggie Mayfield is and remains utterly without principles.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ARC was available to me through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This was the first novel that I have read by Kathy Cooperman. I really liked the author's writing style and character and plot development.

If I had to choose something that I didn't like about the book, it was the ending. It felt a little rushed to me. I would have preferred a sequel.

Once again, NetGalley has helped me to find a new author who will likely become one of my "must-read" authors. I strongly recommend that you pick up this title on October 23, 2018!

Thank you to the publisher and, of course, the author for this well-written and entertaining novel!

[Tvishi Mongia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield is a quirky, hilarious story for a very principled principle who goes out of her way to provide the best for her students, even if its criminal. I loved the story, it talks about social issues while being light and breezy.

It's a little slow, a steady flow is maintained through out the book and it does try to build up to Maggie's criminal beginning but there is too much happening for it to actual be very edge of the seat reveal but it still is an engaging read.

I loved the quirky assortment of characters, the different point of views and the chemistry between the main characters.
But what steals the show is the climax. It took me by surprise and left me with a smile on my face even after the book was done.

I recommend this book a hundred percent.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the review copy.

[Tamara Curtin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as a counterbalance to a other long and rough book on a harsh topic. The premise of a school selling access to its kids as a test bed for a startup isn't hard to imagine, and the struggles of Maggie and her staff to raise enough funds to keep teachers salaries funded doesn't even need to be imagined. Some of the more intelligent chick-lit I've run into.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun summer read. Perfect for the beach. I just loved the friendship between Maggie and Diane. It was written exactly how female friendships are in 'real' life. I just loved their banter. And I loved how they solved the problem together. I did kind of hope for a different ending, but it just couldn't happen. Loved the friendship between Lucy and Rachel as well.

[megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. Can’t really think of a better way to describe this than fun. A great read for a gloomy day.

[J. Lee Hazlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The descriptive language in this book is so evocative and on-point that it regularly jumps off the page and pokes you in the eye. The plot is solidly realistic except for a couple of moments that require suspension of disbelief. I enjoyed this book enough to recommend it to a friend, which is something I do rarely.

The missing half-star is for two things. First, I didn't find the transition into the protagonist's romantic relationship to be satisfactory. I never got the sense that the pair had any chemistry beyond hormones until well after they got together as more than just a weekend fling. This may not bother other people with relationship backgrounds different to mine, but it came off feeling like an awkward plot device to me.

Second, I felt that it would have filled the story out a little more if there were even just a few more references to the protagonist's own youth. You hear plenty about her adult past, but little about her childhood. I find it hard to believe that she can run an elementary school and not be reminded of her own youthful experiences. Even if that's not a hazard of the profession, it would have been an excellent additional facet to her character. All of the main characters are well-rounded and real overall, however, and so this factor did not have as strong of an impact on my score as it might have had otherwise.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Nothing serious. Good to read before going to bed.

[Tiffany E-P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart, sassy and funny

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun/easy read, but a pretty non-compelling storyline

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable and touched my teacher-heart! I love how accurately the author depicted educators and the current battles of the educational system. Maggie and her staff were truly lovable characters.


I received this ARC as a courtesy from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Martha Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super fun read, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had been single and or a teacher. I enjoyed the characters, the plot was well thought out , and it had a good amount of snark. The only reason I didn't rate it higher is because I liked her first book SO MUCH, and was hoping this one would be as good. Sadly the characters were not as dynamic in this one. Plus, and this is a big one, I don't really care for this type of book normally. It had way too much romance for my taste.

[Kerry Murtagh Ramsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars I guess.

I can’t really tell if this is supposed to be a satire, a romance, a cautionary tale, or all three. Is the over the top product placement ironic or just stupid? Diane is the only character worth caring about. And please, authors everywhere, stop combining the words “swollen” and “belly.” It makes me gag.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, delightful, spot on characters, antics, and surprises. This contemporary tale is a fictional take on all an elementary school principal carrie’s on her shoulders. Maggie Mayfield is very lucky to have her BFF and Assistant Donna working right along side her and usually one step in front of her. Maggie is the type of principal who honestly knows and cares for her students and teachers. She sorta likes many of the parents, definitely appreciates all they do, and is leery to completely trust administrators in the system above her. She’s been there too long to know which empty, unfulfilled promises she has to magically make happen through her own ingenuity.
She is facing budget cuts and may need to lose her art teacher, music teacher, PE teacher and even a science teacher! Her answer arrives from Silicon Valley in Northern California down to her small San Diego elementary school wrapped up in Danny Zelenskyy, CEO of a program called MathPal under a publicly traded company known as Edutek. At first, this is presented as Maggie’s answer to her school! They just have to squeeze in 10 minutes daily for the students to Beta Test this new math program and they will receive enough money from the company to pay all of her “extra curricular teachers’” salaries for the year. They will pay them in stock which should be more than enough to cover these salaries for as many as at least 10 more years to come.
But then the first problem arises. The children must use the software and hardware for 20 minutes daily. That’s more difficult to squeeze out of her tightly prepared curriculum.
The principal, Maggie talks a little more with one of her brightest and most outspoken third graders and generally asks her if she’s learning a lot with the new math program. Lucy Wong says,”No. Wait. This is off my records, right?,” slightly mangling the two expressions. Maggie asks a few more questions and discovers the math is too easy. She prompts Lucy that it gets harder as she moves along, though, right. Again, I had to laugh many times with Lucy! She says no. It’s kind of like a flat land and we go up a hill at least, but in this program it stays a flat land. The problems get a little longer, but they’re still just addition only with slightly bigger numbers. She also doesn’t like the music or the adds to buy make up. WHAT?’. Now Maggie really has to investigate.
Her next problem? She’s beginning to date Danny and fall for him. She quizzes him and he says well the adds have to be there for all of his big supporters of the program. How else will they pay out all they have for this new tech?
Maggie begins to realize this is way too good to be true.
I’m beginning to give away way too much.
There is a lot of heart and comedy mixed in this story. The interactions with the students are priceless. Teachers will especially enjoy this one and see a few things that may be a little too real.
There’s one quote in the first chapter which tells you what a wise and caring principal Maddie is and why all classes are not luxuries, but necessities.
“A child’s mind is like a mansion with dozens of rooms: one room for art, one room for math, one for literature, and so on. The child can make each room as elaborate as she wants it to - but only if she gets to spend time there. To do that, she needs someone - a teacher - to unlock the room for her, to show her how to move around in it, to show her what’s possible. The younger you are, the easier it is to enter a new room, to explore. So not letting a child explore, that’s worse than a sin. It’s a little death.”

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ funny, delightful stars

#bookreviewmaureenvandusky

[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield by Kathy Cooperman
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Maggie Mayfield has only ever wanted the very best for her kids. Over the long years of her tenure as principal of an elementary school, Maggie has helped hundreds and hundreds of children, seen the school’s fortunes rise and fall (mostly fall), and worked herself to exhaustion in an effort to keep the ship afloat. With every new school year come the cuts, the lessening of her student’s opportunities, and more guilt over not being able to provide adequately for her kids.

This year, however . . . . .

With a bit of luck and a great deal of campaigning, Maggie’s kids are going to have every opportunity, every beloved teacher, and all they must do in exchange is beta test a new Math program. In exchange for just ten minutes a day, the school gets a huge influx of cash and enough stock to keep the school more than afloat for many, many years to come. However, the payoff over the years is only going to come through if the Math program is a success and, from day one, Maggie has her doubts.

Maggie’s doubts only increase as she tests the program herself and begins to get some feedback from the kids. The program is a huge bust, but Maggie is being pressured from above and below to make the program seem a success. Her idiot boss is insistent on the use of the program and the program developer, the utterly irresistible Danny Z is willing to do anything to make the program a success. While Maggie has her doubts, they are pushed aside as she and Danny Z become more than just colleagues.

For much of the school year, Maggie shoves her Math program concerns to the back of her mind as she deals with the day to day issues found in every elementary school and her smoking hot personal life. Her kids are amazing (seriously, the Wong and Klemper girls!) and Danny Z is the kindest, sweetest man Maggie has ever met and she is able to ignore her misgivings right up to the moment her conscious will no longer allow the ignorance.

The Bottom Line: I liked this book through the first two-thirds and then, in the last third, I REALLY liked it. For the most part, there isn’t anything new or exciting in the first part of this book, but the resolution is all kinds of crazy fun. Maggie and her BFF are bold, a little crazy, and hell bent on doing what is right even if it means a most uncertain future for the two of them. With a scheme, one faked-voice phone call, and a ridiculous exit plan the two women follow their conscious through to the very end. With more than a few tears shed, some outrageous laughs, and their ducks all lined up in a row Maggie and her BFF end up in a place neither ever thought possible. I think most will find this book, as I did, to be a light, easy read. It has some fun moments, some sad moments, some good and bad characters, and makes for a fine weekend read.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars, so I’ll round up to 4.

This book was an unexpected delight! I was looking for a light popcorn read while I traveled, and it delivered. I loved the characters, the inner conflict of Maggie, and even the (admittedly out there) ending. This is the perfect back to school read, or if you’re looking for a more light-hearted palette cleanser.

“The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield” follows Maggie Mayfield, the principal at an elementary school in California. Maggie’s school faces the same problem that every public school has: funding. The school budget is tight, and the school worries they will lose some valuable teachers and programs. When the opportunity to participate in a beta test of a new mathematics software arises, it seems almost too good to be true. Soon Maggie finds herself in a major moral and personal dilemma.

My mom and mother-in-law work(ed) in education, and I have to say that Kathy Cooperman paints the reader a realistic picture of the public school system and its priorities. The plot was engrossing, and I found myself torn right alongside Maggie - does she do what’s best for her school, or education as a whole? I felt compelled to keep reading just to see if everything worked out in the end.

While the plot and writing were delights, this book’s greatest strength was its characters. I LOVED Maggie - she was so relatable, and I enjoyed her interactions with her students. Her friendship with Diane also warmed my heart, and was an actual realistic portrayal of friendship between women instead of something cheesy. The reader is also treated to little sprinkles of other characters, like art teacher Miss Pearl and Lucy Wong the third grader, that broke up the story some and gave fun little side stories. Also, I’m just saying, I would read a spinoff book featuring Diane and Hank.

The only reason I gave this 3.5 stars instead of a full 4 is that the ending felt out there, with a rushed and unrealistic feeling. Obviously this is chick lit so I should suspend my disbelief to an extent, but it still had me scratching my head. This was still very much an enjoyable read, and I devoured it on my plane ride.

[Mary Combrink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, fun four-star read

This book was a light-hearted romp through the year of a principal and her best friend/assistant. The principal, Maggie, will do just about anything to make sure her students get the best education possible, including surrounding herself with a great group of educators who also want to help their students succeed. When her school is chosen to beta-test a new computer-based math program, Maggie’s problems may be over…or just beginning.

I was originally going to rate this a three because it didn’t have a whole lot of tension going on. It was enjoyable, but predictable. The writing is great, and laugh-out loud funny in some spots. (Thanksgiving!). It skipped along quickly…almost too quickly in some cases. Although parts weren’t very realistic, other parts made me nod in recognition as a teacher. I loved reading about the three students and how they overcame their challenges, even though their stories would not have made any difference to the book if they’d been removed.

By the end, though, I revised my rating upward. There are no irredeemable villains in this piece. Everyone had their motivations and desires and stuck to their paths, even while acknowledging other points of view. About 80% of the way in, I started wondering if Cooperman was going to be able to give Maggie a happy ending. I didn’t guess the ending, which I appreciate and which rated the immediate upgrade to a four.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield was a lot of fun! It's a quick read that left me laughing quite a bit.

Maggie Mayfield is the principal at Carmel Knolls Elementary and she spends most of her time conspiring with her best friend/co-worker Diane about ways to earn money in order to keep their school fully funded without having to let any teachers or programs go. When given the opportunity to beta-test new software designed by a Silicon Valley techie, Daniel Zalinsky, in exchange for a stock option in their company they reluctantly go along with the plan. The new software, MathPal, isn't exactly what the women had in mind and they find themselves struggling with the decision of taking the money and letting their school children suffer intellectually or taking the high road and figuring out another way to run their school.

Every character was extremely well fleshed out - no cardboard cutouts or placeholders to be found! From people that were mentioned once to those that had their own subplots, all were rich with characterization. As a result, I found myself rooting for Maggie and getting emotionally invested in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, despite the fact that I felt the ending was a bit rushed and very improbable; though most of the book felt improbable, I had a harder time suspending my disbelief for the ending.

I received this ARC as a courtesy from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this Kindle ARC copy of "The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield." What a great surprise this book was! When I began reading the story, I wasn't sure I would be able to get into it enough to finish it, but suddenly, the characters and story took off and I was hooked. Maggie Mayfield is the principal of a small elementary school that is desperate for funding to keep much needed programs and subjects for the students. Maggie has nothing but concern and love for her students, as does her "side-kick" at the school and friend, Diane. When the head of the district, Arlene, informs Maggie that they will be starting a new math trial program with a tech company, Maggie is excited at first. The school is guaranteed funding for a year to start and for many more if the new MathTek works. The handsome and brazen Danny is the head of MathTek and he is a smooth smoothie, but Maggie falls for him and buys his sales pitch. Hilarity ensues and Kathy Cooperman handles the subject matter of schools, funding, teaching and a bad romance deftly. The story is a serious subject matter but handled with a lot of light-hearted humor. I look forward to reading Ms. Cooperman's next book. A great read for any teacher, educator or anyone who wonders what its like to work in the education system.

[Debra B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Mayfield is an elementary school principal in an affluent San Diego school. She takes great pride in her school and its students, but worries about the constant struggle for funding to teach subjects such as math, science, art... When her school district selects her school to act as a beta site to test educational software, Maggie is elated not only for the software, but also for the stock granted to the district. If the testing goes well, the school could earn enough in increased stock value to pay for teachers salaries and other resources for years.

In the interim, the software appears to be nothing more than a video game with no educational benefits and Maggie worries about the curriculum cut from the school in order to accommodate the beta testing. And then Maggie falls in love with the young, handsome CEO of the software company. Although she senses something is horribly wrong, the smooth-talking CEO always manages to divert her from asking the hard questions that need to be asked until, one day, Maggie tires of the compromising and refuses to sell out at the expense of her kids and her school.

This was a wonderfully warm and funny story and I enjoyed it very much. Kathy Cooperman has also written another book -- Crimes Against a Book Club -- that is equally funny. I highly recommend both books!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! And at the same time, it was smart, funny, and insightful. While I was rooting for Maggie—even when she was making the wrong decisions and I just wanted her to get back on track—I also loved so many of the other characters. Some of my favorite moments were inside the mind of the 3rd grade overachiever, Lucy, and her mom, who was actually hilarious in the way she judged everyone and expected only perfection. What made the book so great was that it dealt with real-world problems like public schools strapped for funding and the compromises teachers have to make to try and do their best for the kids, but at the same time it was filled with hilarious moments we can all relate to (like helicopter parents), and those we can’t but that were so much fun to read about (like luxury doomsday bunkers and porn-addicted ex-husbands). My only warning is to be aware that if you listen to the audiobook while exercising, you could have times when it’s hard to breathe because you’re laughing or snorting at the witty dialogue and funny moments. It happened to me a few times while running up hill!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun but mostly real book about the problems facing education professionals: teachers, principals, counselors, etc. As budgets get tighter and yet demands from the government and communities continue to rise, decisions are sometimes made to purchase textbooks and software that claim to be more than they are.

Maggie Mayfield is a great principal who is forced to beta test new math software to get the funding her school desperately needs to pay its faculty. I loved how Maggie dealt with snakes, bullies, and socially floundering students. But she let her attraction to the CEO of the math software company diffuse her negative reactions to the math software.

Although Diane, Maggie's close friend and office assistant, has some crazy fundraising ideas, she offers Maggie the support and insights she needs. When not at work, Diane publishes a blog for end-of-the-world preppers. This becomes important as the novel progresses and pokes fun at the preppers, educators, parents, funders, and everyone else.

There are some highly improbable situations and some slapstick humor thrown in, but it all blends together fine, and I think most readers would enjoy it.