BOOK CLUB: MS. HEMPEL CHRONICLES

A back-to-school book that will make you wish you were in class.

September means two things: Fashion Week and school.

And while we’re in the midst of the former, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum is firmly in back-to-school mode with her new book, Ms. Hempel Chronicles.

The novel follows the title character, a young punk rocker-turned-middle school teacher who navigates awkward sex-ed classes, wild field trips, and unwanted attention from the science teacher. Although Beatrice Hempel (or Bea, as she begins to refer to herself as) is dealing with her own vulnerabilities and latent regrets, she’s still the teacher you wish you had (or wish that you were): cool but caring, sweet but smart.

And since the book’s chapters act more like sections than a steady narrative, you can pick up the book and put it down as you please—although if you’re like us, you probably won’t want to put it down. Consider it the perfect way to pass the time in between runway shows.
REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

$15.64 at amazon.com



This story was published on September 9, 2008.