Help! I'm Trapped in My Teacher's Body

Help! I'm Trapped...

by Todd Strasser

It's everyone's worst nightmare. . .come true!

Jake Sherman used to be your average, ordinary twelve year old, until he became a completely different person. Tall, skinny, balding, nerdy. . .OH NO! Jake's turned into his weirdo teacher, Mr. Dirksen!

It's bad enough that Jake's an adult now, but a teacher? The geekiest, most made-fun-of teacher in the whole school? Jake's sister Jessica is the only person who'll believe him--and even she's a little suspicious.

Jake and Jessica better find a way to get things back to normal fast--not only because Jake's going crazy, but also because dorky Mr. Dirksen is running around in Jake's body! The nightmare is only beginning!

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Science Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade

115 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Todd Strasser is an American author of more than 130 novels for adults, young-adults, and middle graders.

His most recent novel is Summer of '69

Booklist review: "Drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll, those hallmarks of the summer of 1969, are all here, but there's so much more. In this loosely autobiographical novel, Strasser introduces 18-year-old Lucas, who is bright and sensitive but also a screw up…. The picture painted of the Woodstock music festival shows the dark side of peace and love, and the prevalence of drugs is on almost every page…The best part of the book, however, is the one that transcends eras: Lucas' introspection as he contemplates his place in the world."

Kirkus review: "Strasser perfectly captures the golden haze of youth and life on the cusp of adulthood. Readers fascinated with this time period will find much to enjoy... Vietnam, Woodstock, road trips, and acid trips: a sweetly bittersweet, surprising, even melancholy bildungsroman set against a world in flux. Groovy, man."

His most recent young adult novel is Price of Duty:
2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
“Compact and suspenseful, the novel raises important questions about war.” – Kirkus 
“This thought-provoking book is both welcome and imperative.” – Booklist * (starred review).
"Rather than attempting to sway the reader, it offers awareness." - VOYA 
“Tightly wound and compelling ... appropriate for an older middle school and high school audience. VERDICT: Highly recommended.” – School Library Journal 

Bio: Todd was born in New York City. When he was young his parents moved to Roslyn Heights, New York (Long Island). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary school and then attended the Wheatley School for junior high and high school. His best subjects were math and science. He also liked to read, but he had trouble with spelling and grammar, and didn't do well in English. His favorite sports were tennis, skiing and fishing. Todd went to college at New York University for a few years, and then dropped out. He lived on a commune, then lived in Europe where he was a street musician.

All the while, Todd wrote songs and poems and lots of letters to his friends back home. Finally he decided to try being a writer. He returned to the United States and went to Beloit College where he studied literature and writing.

After college, Todd worked at the Middletown Times Herald-Record newspaper in Middletown, New York, and later at Compton Advertising in New York City. In 1978, Todd sold his first novel, Angel Dust Blues. He used the money to start the Dr. Wing Tip Shoo fortune cookie company. For the next 12 years, Todd sold more fortune cookies than books.

Todd now divides his time between writing books and speaking at schools and conferences. When he's at home, he likes to spend time with his children and dog, Cooper. He still likes to play tennis and ski, but his favorite new sport is surfing.

Reviews

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

girl help

https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller...

[Risaury Reynoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really funny. Todd Strasser really know how to make a person laugh.

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake Sherman is sitting in his sixth grade science class with his friends Josh Hopka and Andy Kent. The class is taught by the boring teacher Mr. Dirksen, who does nothing but lecture the students, and never does anything fun. As he lectures them, Jake and his friends load spitball shooters and shoot them at Mr. Dirksen. Andy and Josh manage to hide their shooters, but Jake is caught by Mr. Dirksen.

After class, Mr. Dirksen talks with Jake. He informs him that he is not going to be given detention, since Mr. Dirksen does not believe it will do any good. He says instead that Jake will, as punishment, carry a heavy box home for him.

After school, Mr. Dirksen and Jake walk home to Mr. Dirksen's house. As they reach it, a storm begins to come in. Mr. Dirksen shows Jake an invention that he is building in his garage. He calls it the Dirksen Intelligence Transfer System, and hopes that it will one day gain the ability to transfer intelligence from one being to another, thus eliminating the need for education or training. As he finishes explaining his invention, a bolt of lightning strikes the house, knocking Jake and Mr. Dirksen unconscious.

Jake wakes up and notices things are very different. He suddenly has an aching back and things look fuzzy. He looks across the garage to see himself looking back at him. The truth suddenly hits him: Mr. Dirksen's machine has caused Jake and his teacher to swap bodies. Mr. Dirksen (in Jake's body) informs Jake that he refuses to leave his student's body, and heads home to Jake's house. Jake (in Mr. Dirksen's body) follows, but is only thrown out of his house when his father does not recognize him and threatens to call the police.

The following day, Jake takes over teaching his science class. He suddenly realize that, being in Mr. Dirksen's body, he can make the class fun. During the lesson, he teaches the students how to build bombs, much to their excitement.

While trapped in his teacher's body, Jake attempts to make life miserable for Mr. Dirksen in hopes that he will agree to switch back, but to no avail. Eventually, "Mr. Dirksen's" lessons to his science class prove so exciting that the impressed Principal Blanco praises him for them and declares him a model teacher. To celebrate this, Jake's other teacher, Ms. Rogers, takes him out to breakfast, where she begins to fall in love with Jake in Mr. Dirksen's body and proposes marriage to him. She invites him to have a romantic dinner at her house where he can discuss the matter.

Jake eventually is able to convince his sister Jessica of his predicament and gets her to help him. None of her efforts to make the intruder miserable, however, prove effective. Mr. Dirksen, however, learns of a fact that makes him decide to switch back: that if he is Jake, he will have to spend the weekend in a cabin with Andy and Josh.

Jake, Mr. Dirksen, and Jessica head to Mr. Dirksen's home. Mr. Dirksen points out that if there is no bolt of lightning to strike his home, there is no hope of the machine working. Jake attempts to fly a kite up to the power line and run the rope down to the machine, but the kite crashes. Jake then gets the idea to attach the wire to a baseball and toss it over the power lines and hook up to the machine. He and his sister are not able to do it, so he leaves it up to Mr. Dirksen. Mr. Dirksen makes Jake promise that if he switches back, Jake will be a model student. Jake agrees, so Mr. Dirksen throws the ball. It succeeds in wrapping around the line. The trio hurry to the garage and attach the line to the machine.


from wikipedia

[Elaina :p · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main characters are Jake and Mr.Dirksen. Jake is a student in Mr.Dirksens seventh grade class. He misbehaved in the class so he had to carry a box for Mr.Dirksen to his house. When they got there it started raining so Mr.Dirksen says that Jake should probably wait until it stops raining to leave back home. They worked on the project while it was raining and a strike of lightning hit the house and when they looked at each other they were in each others bodies. Jake had to teach at his school in Mr.Dirksen's body and Mr.Dirksen is at Jake's house in Jake's body. They are in each others bodies for a while because Mr.Dirksen (who is in Jake's body) doesn't want to switch back. They try to switch back but the first time it doesn't work. Read the book and she if they get switched back or if they are in different bodies forever.

I liked the book a lot. I think you should really read it. I had a hard time putting the book down because it was exciting and I felt like I was actually in the book. It had a lot of exciting activities in the book. I hope if you read the book you like it.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny book. It is about a twelve-year-old boy named Jason who discovers that he and the dorkiest teacher in school, Mr. Dirksen, have switched bodies. And his sister, Jennifer, helps him set things right.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good.

[Mary L · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was funny because Jason switched bodies with the dorkest teacher in the world.

[Joshua Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book! I would say I'm reading to a certain chapter but I would end up reading on because I would want to see what happens next. I really like this book.

[karly · Rating 5 out of 5]

it`s pretty good and i`m almost finished with it >. < i`m finally finished reading this book is was very nice and great :)

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny. Freaky. Phlegmwad. This story had me laughing so hard at times. Great nostalgia. I can't remember if I have read this before but it definitely had a 90s feel to it. Jake and Mr. Dirksen accidentally switch bodies and get to live in each other's shoes. The lessons learned are important for any age group. Definitely recommend.

[Ball Wit · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1993 Todd Strasser wrote this book Help! I’m Trapped in My Teacher’s Body about a trouble maker student who got his body switched with his weird science teacher. A student name Jake who like to be silly and make trouble in his science class with his friends. One day he and his friends hit their science teacher name (Mr. Dirksen) with rock by using sling shot. Unfortunately the teacher caught Jake but not his friends. Jake asked for stayed after school and carried Mr. Dirksen science experiment box to his house. In Mr. Dirksen garage he created a experiment that can transfer or switch things. That day the rain was falling hard and thunder and lighting seem bigger and louder. The thunder came closer to Mr. Dirksen house and for seven seconds or so the thunder hit again and it was right in Mr. Dirksen garage where Jake and Mr. Dirksen are in there. The house was shaking for a while, Jake and Mr. Dirksen fell for a minute. When they woke up Jake felt different of himself. He looked at his hand and he couldn’t believe what he saw. He touch his head and face, then he saw a boy just look like him standing in front of him. The boy that look at him told him he is Mr. Dirksen. Their body got switched when the lightning strike the house. Jake doesn’t like Mr. Dirksen body. He had to stay in Mr. Dirksen house almost a week. He can not go to his house because of his parents didn’t believed he is the real Jake. Jake who’s in Mr. Dirksen body taught the classes. He had no idea how to teach but he taught the students to make bombs. A teacher name Kim who fell in love with Mr. Dirksen a long time ago asked Jake who is in his Mr. Dirksen body for romantic dinner. Jake in his kindness feeling he accepted. He couldn’t answer no because Kim helped him making breakfast every morning in Mr. Dirksen house. Jake told Mr. Dirksen about the dinner with Kim, and Mr. Dirksen felt jealous about it. Mr. Dirksen want to switch to his body back, but he can’t automatically changed himself back to the real him. They need a big lightning strike but there no way they can find the lightning. So they had to use the big wire of electricity to gets them switched back. Jake was now happy on his old body. He can enjoy and doing things that a boy normally do. In this story the author show that being rude only lead get you in a bad things.

This prove the rudeness get you in a bad things because Jake is one of the trouble making student. Mr. Dirksen is one of the looking weird and meanest teacher in the school. One of her student name Amanda ask “Can I get some water?” “You know the rules, Amanda. No water during class.” said Mr. Dirksen. Amanda coughed when she is thirsty. Mr. Dirksen always wear suit to the school. He always give the test to the students every Friday even though the students doesn’t know how to do it. His class is not fun and boring, all the students hate him and his work.

This book is just right for me. I can almost understand every details in the text. I like the dialogue and the text, because its not difficult to read or understand. For example: “You know, Jake, I had your sister, Jessica, when she was in sixth grade. I still see her in homeroom everyday. It’s hard to believe that the two of you come from the same family.” “A lot of people say that.” “Do they? why do you think that is?” “Simple, Jessica is a total brain, superior athlete, and all around extraterrestrial. I, on the other hand, am a mere human being.” I think this book is right for middle schooler or ELL students, because it’s not a really long or thick book. In my opinion this book isn’t about a comedy or drama. It’s just a book that entertain you and make you continue to read it even though you don’t feel like reading.

[Hassatou Sow · Rating 5 out of 5]

the thing that i think is that i give this book five stars because i like this so much because jake is a rude little boy and his teacher is so boring and when jake get in trouble when he is caugth throwing spitball and he had to carry a box home with mr dirksen and when he was there there was lightning and they swichted bodies and now his teacher is runing around in his body and mr rogers now started liking him andmr dirksen had to go to camping and ms rogers want to marry hi and they had to swicth back and his sister jessica is the only one who belivehim and she hepl him swicth back and mr dirksen and ms rogers got marry and jack was being so good and they all lived happily ever after. mr dirksen started making his classes more fun not boring.The main characters are Jake and Mr.Dirksen. Jake is a student in Mr.Dirksens seventh grade class. He misbehaved in the class so he had to carry a box for Mr.Dirksen to his house. When they got there it started raining so Mr.Dirksen says that Jake should probably wait until it stops raining to leave back home. They worked on the project while it was raining and a strike of lightning hit the house and when they looked at each other they were in each others bodies. Jake had to teach at his school in Mr.Dirksen's body and Mr.Dirksen is at Jake's house in Jake's body. They are in each others bodies for a while because Mr.Dirksen (who is in Jake's body) doesn't want to switch back. They try to switch back but the first time it doesn't work. Read the book and she if they get switched back or if they are in different bodies forever.The main characters are Jake and Mr.Dirksen. Jake is a student in Mr.Dirksens seventh grade class. He misbehaved in the class so he had to carry a box for Mr.Dirksen to his house. When they got there it started raining so Mr.Dirksen says that Jake should probably wait until it stops raining to leave back home. They worked on the project while it was raining and a strike of lightning hit the house and when they looked at each other they were in each others bodies. Jake had to teach at his school in Mr.Dirksen's body and Mr.Dirksen is at Jake's house in Jake's body. They are in each others bodies for a while because Mr.Dirksen (who is in Jake's body) doesn't want to switch back. They try to switch back but the first time it doesn't work. Read the book and she if they get switched back or if they are in different bodies forever.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was recommended as a read aloud for 5th graders. It's a quick read and has some funny parts.

That being said, the "romance" for lack of a better word between Jake and Ms. Rogers was weird. She was attracted to Jake's personality in Dirkson's body. That's not so easily remedied when Dirkson gets his body back. Well, unless you go with the story as written here...

Dirkson had moments when he seemed genuinely diabolical--refusing to give Jake his body back--and his motivations for returning we're inadequate, in my opinion. Basically, it felt as though the author needed to quickly wrap up, so... Ta da! Switcharoo!

There was potential here for both characters to learn about and appreciate each other. I felt that opportunity was wasted. Both characters could have gained respect for the challenges that each had to deal with at his respective stage if life. Dirkson could have had a refresher in middle-school ism and Jake could have gained insight into the difficulty of working with kids his age.

Instead, returning to an adult body seemed like just punishment for Dirkson and returning to a middle schooler's body seems ideal. Not sure when puberty became so appealing, but there it is...

Anyway, my 9 year old enjoyed this and I can see that it would make a fun read aloud. It's pretty predictable and I'm not in accord with it's values, but, hey! I'm not in the target demographic.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very funny. Twelve year old Jake Sherman used to cause trouble in his boring science teacher's class. He didn't really mean to - Mr. Dirksen was just so monotone and boring. Science class was no fun until Mr. Dirksen dishes out a punishment to Jake that will change his life forever. He is made to carry a heavy machine to Mr. Dirksen's house after school one day. The machine + a lightning storm = Freaky Friday all over again! Mr. Dirksen and Jake's bodies have switched places! Now, Jake gets to see life from Mr. Dirksen's point of view, and Mr. Dirksen gets to spend a weeks of life as Jake! Both learn valuable lessons as they see life from the other side!

I really enjoyed this book! Seems that several of the books I'm reading are dealing with seeing like from the other person's point of view. Maybe God's trying to tell me something!😉

This book would be good for classroom use for 6th grades to 9th grades on a couple different topics. Science - discuss electricity, is it really possible to swap bodies. Why not? Could the human body really withstand that much electrical current. As we age, what happens to our bodies? Empathy - do we really stop and take time to see life from another persons point of view? What would we change about our actions if we did?

[Courtlandstokes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a juvenile book. For the most part its really a pre-adolescent book, in my opinion. I started reading it because I thought it was YAL, and then I noticed I had just about read the entire book without even noticing it. The main characters Jake and Mr. Dirksen in a "freakish" accident have their personalities transfered. It's really a reversal of roles. A sociology experiment, the 8-13 year old version of "Face Off"-with a valuable lesson to be learned. In the Handout we had in class, "Stages, Task, Theories: Various Perspectives on Adolescent Development" cites Havgaurd's series of develpmental task, which includes-Acquiring a personal ideology or value system. The "bridging the generation gap" like many YAL books attempt to do in creative ways...this book "could" be cited as one of those ways--just lacking the real creativity that characterizes many YAL books today.

[TheSuperKim · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don't know why we kept buying books like these, maybe for my little brother's sake? or that we'd rather read books for young people such as these than read Twilight-inspired books.

i really think i have outgrown these books. The whole "Help, I'm Trapped in.." Series has the same plot in all the books, maybe to show the differences in every profession? anyway, this one's very predictable. The teacher gets Jake's body and Jake gets his teacher's body (as implied by the book title) and then they swap in the end.

Fcuk. i really suck at writing book reviews.

[Jose Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a very funny and bizzare book compared to all of the other book s that i have read. From kissing teachers to diaper bombs this book was absoulutly amazing. The part that i thought that really got me was when they swich bodies and jake wakes up in his teachers body! Who wants to be trapped a teachers body and have to acually teach?! This book is about a kid getting a teachers body and a teacher getting a kids body. I would reccomend this book to people who like fantasy and action.

[Ivy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I read this when I was in middle school. I don't know why I'm even posting here!

As a pre-teen, this was an enjoyable read for me. I don't know what else to say. I'm not sure how much the world has changed; I don't know if 12-year-olds would read something like this. Kids are growing up too fast nowadays.

[Justin Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought it was mean to stronger people and supported stereotypes for no reason.

[Tyrell Dowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

i want to know how kids get in a teacher body by like a magic i like this book because if i can get in a teacher body i can talk like her and say for now on no homewok for rest of the school year

[Benecia]

i thought this was freaky and amazing at the same time yuck

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book I read on an off with Leah. Jake was rude but laugh out loud funny!

[Kelli Shearron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be a perfect book to read to your class. It is humorous and it displays a good teacher and student relationship.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute story and I would have rated it higher, but Strasser wrote the character of Kim too stupid and weak. She would not have fallen for Mr. Dirkman.

[Paula Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my grade 3 class and they loved it!! I loved it!! What a fun read!

[Brandon Johnson]

Another blast from the past I remembered while trying to list all the books I used to read in elementary school. Probably my first experience with body-swap stories.

[Reader Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read for middle school readers.

[Alivia Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jake Sherman is a twelve year old boy and he turned into his teachers body.Only his sister belivies him but no one else does.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super funny with a little Freaky-Friday vibe. A popular middle schooler switches bodies with his very un-popular science teacher. Both have a positive impact on the other’s life and perspective as they try to navigate the changes brought about by the switch and the imminent reversal.

All that said, this isn’t a book that would carry in popularity in our modern world. The 90s were so different and even innocent in some ways. Having kids walk their teachers home, visit those homes, develop a relationship with their teachers and then a romantic relationship with another teacher. Switching bodies with your teacher, which means using each others’ bodies… it was funny in the 90s but for this Momma in the 2020s it just brought creepy vibes into the mix that I wasn’t expecting (I probably read this the first time over 20 years ago).

Funny, a bit nostalgic, and maybe good for a young innocent reader. But I don’t think it’s holding up in a modern world where there are just too many creepy, scary people out there.

Or maybe I just listen to too much true crime. And real news.

[Hayden Pasko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is a pretty good book. I have read it over 4 times. It gives the perspective of how a teacher goes about their day. It tells the relation between Jake (main character) and the teacher. You're able to tell that the two have a closer relationship even though Jake is annoying in class. Jake gets annoyed that his parents don't believe him when he tells them he switched bodies with his teacher. He finally learns that his teacher is stressed enough without him misbehaving, and he learns to behave once he realizes it. I think this would be a good book for any student or teacher who would to see how the author describes both of the perspectives.