Bubble Sheet Blues review, by Mary Ann Grossman, St. Paul Pioneer Press

It’s going to be a good year for listeners if William Durbin’s funny and timely new novel for young listeners is an example of what’s to come. Adults have been talking about mandatory student testing for years, but we rarely hear the feelings of the kids who are forced to take them. That’s why Durbin, two-time Minnesota Book Award winner and a former English teacher, introduces us to Luke Collins, an eighth grader who’s not very interested in school and has been a bit of a slacker.

During a session with his third grade reading buddy, Luke watches the little kids sob as they face the coming Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) required by Jeb Bush, Florida’s governor from 1999 to 2007. If kids don’t pass the test (marking answers on a “bubble sheet”) they will have to repeat third grade, even if they get “A’s” the whole year. No wonder the first chapter is titled “Bubble Sheet Blues or Dead Dogs and Puke Piles.”

As Luke begins to research the test, he realizes the injustice inherent in the system. He uncovers financial benefits to the testing companies, collusion with lawmakers, and he discovers how the tests are unfair to immigrant students. He figures out that high-stakes standardized tests keep students from critical, thoughtful learning by making teachers spend weeks and sometimes months preparing for the test. The more Luke learns the angrier he gets, leading to outright revolution in the school, led by Luke, optimistic Claire, and tech-savvy Gabe.

What happens then, thanks to sympathetic teachers and some parents, makes for a great ending. The trio is so jazzed they might even take on banned books for their next project. Luke’s eighth-grade voice is spot on, serious when he’s talking about his research but also funny in dialogue with his friends.

Although this story is being marketed for young adults, every adult with an interest in education should read it, too.