My Teacher Flunked the Planet (My Teacher)

Book Description

Alien Invasion of Earth!

Peter Thompson, a typical seventh-grader, finds himself touring the planet with his friends Susan Simmons and Duncan Dougal, and three aliens in disguise!

Their mission? To file the final report that will determine Earth's future in the universe.

As the clock ticks away the hours before their meeting in space, the tour becomes weirder and weirder. The three friends come face-to-face with a plague of poots and "Big Julie" -- the weirdest alien yet!

Meanwhile Peter discovers a secret that was hidden for decades. Will his discovery save Earth, or isi it already too late to stop the aliens from destroying the planet?

Customer Reviews:

Daughters loved it!!!.......2007-03-15

My daughters loved it. laughed out loud, AND they get credit for it as an AR book at school! Fantastic!

I give this book an A+.......2006-05-30

This was an incredible ending to a fun series that was started with My Teacher is an Alien. While it remained fun, it was also much more intense, like ice water suddenly dumped on you unexpectedly.

But I think it's "kid safe." As a child I saw Return to Oz and had horrid nightmares; by the age of 10 I read a short horror story for adults where I find out that the man telling the story is insane and his family is dead and I broke out in tears. Yet as sensitive as I was, this book did not cause a severe reaction, but pulled me in with its shocking surprises, both hopeful and horrid. Bruce Coville has done a truly amazing job at making the horrors of the world accessible to kids (though probably not younger than 10) without being either traumatizing or patronizing about it, though he did (thankfully) gloss over some of the worse parts. (Example: "What had already been done to those people was so ugly I cannot bring myself to describe it, even though the memory of it remains like a scar burned into my brain with a hot iron.")

Furthermore, I would add that this is not a book promoting any ideology. This doesn't encourage your children to grow up and vote Democrat or Republican, or embrace socialism or libertarianism. This is a book promoting VALUES. And contrary to the propaganda of many ideologues and Party Pushers, values and ideology are two completely different things.

All ideologies, to my knowledge, explain the ways that they think are best for solving the problems Coville brings up. But values determine what gets done; ideology detemines how it gets done. A revolution that changes ideology but not values will only change the HOW things get done, not WHAT gets done. Even functioning anarchies (communes, tribal, even regions like Barcelona in the Spanish Civil War) show that the values that are shared by a community will be displayed, no matter what system is in place.

If I get into an ideological debate with someone who shares the same values as I do, then what we're debating is the best way to solve the same problem, not debating if the problem exists or how important it is. I also find that I much prefer the company of people who have different political leanings from myself but share my values to those who share my political leanings but not my values. I think that Bruce Coville, intentionally or unintentionally, has also expressed this view ("...not the leaders, not the government, just the people..."). Which is to say, don't fear that your child will be brainwashed into serving some political agenda, though Coville might get help your child to care in the first place.

Finally, the book does show much that is noble and good about humanity, too. I found it to be ultimately hopeful, if sobering.

In many ways, it's a child's version of Carl Sagan's Contact. While Contact has a credible alien society, IMO, My Teacher Flunked the Planet has entertaining aliens. But both books help us, kid or adult, look seriously at the insanity of our planet's societies, and also the hope.

The World Isn't That Bad.......2004-05-26

Pro: this was an exciting, interesting book. I enjoyed reading it and re-reading it.

Con: Bruce Coville can get very preachy at times. In this book we look at the worst of humanity, and he makes it sound like all of humanity is a terrible violent monsters. But while there are horrible things in the world, you must realize they are showing us the worst-there are better! And with all the no doubt millions of alien races, we're the worst of the worst? Yeah, right. I especially hate it when he talks about the television as if it serves to purpose other than to turn our brain into swiss cheese.

If you can get over the self-righteousness and the pessimism about the human race, this is a lovely book.

A little disappointing but certainly worthwhile.......2003-12-12

I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this concluding story in Bruce Coville's My Alien series. This is a much more serious book than its predecessors, conveying a strong message about human society today. While it addresses important issues such as war, poverty, starvation, and other social ills, it comes off as a tad preachy in places. The fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, and it is up to the series' three young heroes to convince a worried Interplanetary Council that the planet should be spared. Susan Simmons, Duncan Dougal, and Peter Thompson come together as a complete unit for the first time, each having previously narrated his/her own account of the events and discoveries leading up to the ultimate final challenge. Susan has exposed her new teacher as a reptilian alien on a mission to "kidnap" five students for study, Duncan has gone from slow-witted bully to a nice, highly intelligent young man after having his brains "fried," and Peter has traveled into the depths of space and met all manner of alien creatures. With the help of a few human-friendly aliens, they now face the largest challenge conceivable: proving to the leaders of the galaxy that all hope for humanity's mending its wicked ways is not lost. If they fail, the Earth will be destroyed in much the same way harmful bacteria are eradicated before they can spread their harmful influence beyond the localized area in which they are currently festering.

Things aren't looking very good for life on Earth; traveling in disguise back on their home planet, our team gets a close-up look at many of mankind's worst ills, and even the kids are often at a loss as to how to defend a people who do such terrible things to one another. All of this is well and good (albeit a little too preachy), but the conclusion of the story (and thus of the whole series) was a let-down. The big climax is more of a hit-and-run than a well-executed denouement, leaving me looking down for the rug that Coville pulled from under my feet at the last minute. It's still an impressive final book in a very entertaining series, but I just expected something more. While this book is by far the most important of the series, incorporating issues that some young readers may not have a full grasp on yet, it is far less entertaining and amusing than the first three books. For a youngster ready to make the move to more serious children's fiction, though, My Teacher Flunked the Planet stands as a gateway to a world where learning takes its place alongside pure entertainment.

A sobering story.......2001-04-16

Many science fiction books that are written for children aim to take them away into a fantasy land where anything can happen. Not this one. This story takes a hopeful mind back to the grim reality of the planet we live in, with all its violence, disease, and emotional pain presented in the book the way it really is. A continuation to a trilogy of somewhat less exciting books, My Teacher Flunked the Planet shows its readers how truly perverse and ignorant we ALL are, and shows that even those characters who believe they are above it all (some of the aliens) have as many flaws of their own as do we "barbaric" humans. I too noticed the strong liberal political messages in the book, after I had read it through several times. But even those who do not agree with Coville's political ambitions should be able to readily enjoy this book for its raw imaginary excitement.

Average customer rating:

MY TEACHER FLUNKED THE PLANET
Bruce Coville
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

My Teacher Flunked the Planet
Bruce Coville
Manufacturer: Pocket Minstrel Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NW3SF4

Average customer rating:

My Teacher Flunked The Planet
Bruce Coville
Manufacturer: Minstrel Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LLMC4A

Product Description

Peter Thompson, a typical seventh-grader, finds himself touring the planet with his friends Susan Simmons and Duncan Dougal, and three aliens in disguise! The thrilling climax to: "My Teacher is an Alien".

Book Description

Contains powerful tales from Egypt and West Asia with an immediately accesible A-Z structure, fully cross referenced throughout. Includes over 150 color pictures of sacred animals, gods, heroes, angels, djinn and holy places, all taken, wherever possible, from original sources.

Average customer rating:

Look elsewhere for real information
know what you're getting
A well-written comprehensive study.
Great Souce of Egyptian Mythology Information

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends
Lewis Spence
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0486265250

Book Description

This superb in-depth survey explores animism, totemism, fetishism, creation myths, Egyptian priesthood, cult of Osiris, numerous deities, Book of the Dead, alchemy, Egyptian art and magic, legends, and a host of other fascinating topics. An erudite, clearly written work, enhanced with over 50 photographs and illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Look elsewhere for real information.......2005-10-12

This book is not only sadly out of date, the author admits most scholars would consider it absolutely wrong and spends much time defending his own credentials. Indeed, his entire preface is a plea to take him seriously even though he's writing for the popular market because his contemporary scholars would reject his work.

He gets a lot of stuff wrong. For example, he has a photo of Ahkenaten sitting on his throne with the hands of the solar disk Aten holding anks to him and this is labelled as being an image of the Aten. The figure is most certainly not the deity, but the pharaoh. He spends pages on animal worship and completely ignores the Apis bull. He makes connections where there are none (between Osiris's coffin being caught in a tree and a type of vegetation worship for which we have no evidence). If you want to know about Egyptian mythology, look elsewhere.

know what you're getting.......2004-10-05

This book is great for lovers of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody novels---it shows the state of knowledge about ancient Egypt in the early 20th century. This book was published originally in 1915. It's a classic. But it's NOT a good source for up-to-date scholarship on ancient Egyptian religion. The author's thesis is that ancient Egyptians were just as barbarous in their primitive beliefs as any other savages are. This can be very amusing to read, but. . . . Much of the information is outdated, some of it is just plain discredited; it's also occasionally quite insightful. It's more likely to confuse somebody who doesn't know much about ancient Egypt than to help, though.

A well-written comprehensive study........1999-05-08

The details this book gives are extraordinary and the accompanying plates and illustrations are wonderful, though on occasion their quality is waning. I particularily found fascinating the study of the five parts of the being and their capabilities when the body containing them was alive or deceased. The influence of dreams is also looked at, albeit briefly. My only real complaint might be that since it was written in the early twentieth century, Pharaoh names and place-names are rendered differently, which is a bit odd, and the authors habit of referring to the ancient Egyptians as savage and primitive gets a bit annoying. I realize that this is only a reflection of the attitude of his day, and thus I will not hold such against Mr. Spence as the rest of the work more than makes up for these blemishes of preference.

Great Souce of Egyptian Mythology Information.......1997-09-04

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends is the best collection of Egyptian myths I've found anywhere. Every aspect of Egyptian gods and dieties was mentioned in full detail. You have a question, I promise it will answer. Definitely a book to add to your shopping cart if you love Egyptian myth

Legends of the Egyptian Gods: Hieroglyphic Texts and Translations

Average customer rating:

All This Boring Intellectual Stuff! Classic Egyptology!
in regards to the previous review
garbage

Legends of the Egyptian Gods: Hieroglyphic Texts and Translations
E. A. Wallis Budge
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Africa | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0486280225

Book Description

9 of the most interesting and important Egyptian legends in hieroglyphic texts with literal translations on facing pages. Included are The Legend of the Creation, The Legend of the Destruction of Mankind, The Legend of Isis and Osiris, and more, enhanced with 19 illustrations from Egyptian art.

Customer Reviews:

All This Boring Intellectual Stuff! Classic Egyptology!.......2007-01-28

Gimme back my Marvel Comics! Who wants all this stuff with all words and no color comic panels? Yech! They expect me to read all these paragraphs!!! Come on, if you don't know anything about the subject material, stick with Captain Marvel and reading boxes of Cheerios. This is one of the modern world's greatest Egyptologists presenting nine of the greatest myths of ancient Egypt, translated directly from the hieroglyphs. It doesn't get much better than this. No, you won't see any color glossies of Harrison Ford, and they do use long words made up of even six, seven, sometimes eight characters. And some of the sentences even contain as many as ten words! Or more! All in a row! But this is the real stuff, primary source material. Written thousands of years ago. True what the ancient Egyptians had to say probably doesn't quite compare to visceral, heady thrills of the adventures of Captain Marvel. But for the rest of the literate and educated world, this is required reading if you're seriously interested in ancient Egypt and their mythology.

in regards to the previous review.......2002-07-29

I haven't read much of this book but just by paging through it it appears that the majority of the book is translations of hieroglyphic texts, accompanied by the hieroglyphics, so the previous review should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

garbage.......2000-09-17

This book basically tells you alot of boring stuff. It takes the fun out of Ancient Eygpt. It talks alot of who discovered what and when, more then anything else, atleast that's what I saw. I stopped reading it after it went on and on about people discovering the stuff. I mean, sure, we'd like to know who discovered it, but we would like to learn more about what they discovered, and what it means etc. This book is probably the worst I have ever gotten.

The Star-Bearer: A Creation Myth From Ancient Egypt

Average customer rating:

The gods of ancient Egypt

The Star-Bearer: A Creation Myth From Ancient Egypt
Dianne Hofmeyr
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0374371814

Book Description

A five-thousand-year-old story.

When the godchild Atum emerges from inky silence to begin his work of creation, he first conjures up the passionate gods of air and rain, followed by Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. But earth and sky cling to each other, sharing whispered secrets and laughter, leaving Atum no room to complete his creation. So Atum has no choice but to force them apart, infuriating Geb and leaving Nut sad and lonely . . . until Thoth, the god of wisdom, takes pity on her.

From an age-old explanation of how our starry universe came to be, Dianne Hofmeyr and Jude Daly have fashioned a dazzling and accessible picture-book introduction to Egyptian mythology.

Customer Reviews:

The gods of ancient Egypt.......2001-06-28

"The Star-Bearer: A Creation Myth from Ancient Egypt," by Dianne Hofmeyr and Jude Daly, is a visually stunning book. The text tells the story of the ancient deities of Egypt: Atum, the creator; Shu, the god of air; Nut, the goddess of the sky; and others. The text is accompanied by colorful, elegant illustrations that capture an epic feel. This is a good book for parents and teachers who are interested in introducing children to the creation myths of different cultures.

Voices from the Other World: Ancient Egyptian Tales

Average customer rating:

I love road movies...

Voices from the Other World: Ancient Egyptian Tales
Naguib Mahfouz
Manufacturer: American University in Cairo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 9774247582

Book Description

The forces of law and order disturb a district's too-perfect peace at the dawn of Egyptian civilization. A wise and popular pharaoh is betrayed by his own son, and by his dearest friends - then makes a most peculiar decision. A mummy returns to life after three thousand years, to confront the arrogant new race that now rules the land. A favored prince flees to a faraway country when the king dies suddenly, leaving his true love behind - only to come back to question her about their forty lost years. A famous young writer, composer of a legendary epic of Pharaoh's greatest battle with the Hittites, is carried off without warning by a mysterious disease - then speaks to us in this life from beyond the veil of death.
Such are the tales that make up this volume of five masterly stories by the young Naguib Mahfouz, all inspired by the Egypt of the pharaohs. Like three novels set in ancient times that he also published early in his career, these stories reveal his wide reading of Egypt's (and the world's) oldest history and literature. All of these gems, however, are very much his own creations. Their voices speak with the familiar genius of Egypt's greatest modern writer - though they call from a very different world than the one for which he is best known.

Customer Reviews:

I love road movies..........2007-01-06

I love this tales. They put me on the way of adventure. They are big flashes-back to far away countries whereof I dreamt during my whole youth. A second reason of joy in my lecture of that special book, is he tale with the title 'A voice from the other world', where a mummy from the 18th Dynasty awakens to explain what happens when a man passes to the other side. He was 26 years old when he died. He tells us how he felt when he saw that his family and friends wept; and with the embauming of his corpse... He tells us how people are mistaken. That the only thing that counts is the happiness and the sunshine in life after dead..''I yielded myself t an infinite love... I sank into eternity!'' Death is neither painful nor terrifying, as mortals imagine. If they knew the truth about it, they would seek it out as they do with well-aged wine, preferring it over all others. - I must read more ofd those wunderful books.Mahfouz is a great poet. Johan Everaert

Mythology of Egypt and the Middle East: Myths and Legends of Egyot, Persia, Asia Minor, Sumer and Babylon (Mythology of Series)

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Mythology of Egypt and the Middle East: Myths and Legends of Egyot, Persia, Asia Minor, Sumer and Babylon (Mythology of Series)
Rachel Storm
Manufacturer: Southwater
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1842157442

Book Description

From the Angels and Djinn to the secrets of the Underworld, over 150 gods, animals and mythical stories from Ancient Egypt, Persia, Asia Minor, Sumer and Babylon are described.

Average customer rating:

good general reference to myths & legends of Ancient Egypt

Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt
Robert A. Armour
Manufacturer: American University in Cairo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 9774246691

Book Description

Robert Armour's classic text, long cherished by a generation of readers, is now complemented with more than 50 new photographs and line drawings that show the gods and goddesses in their characteristic forms. Armour maintains a strong narrative thread with illuminating commentary in his lively, vigorous retelling of stories from Egyptian mythology, including those of the sun god Ra, the tragic death and rebirth of Osiris with the help of Isis, the near-burlesque of Horus' battle with the evil Seth, and the ''gods of the intellect'' Thoth and Maat. Now with an updated bibliography and glossary as well as new charts showing the gods at a glance and ancient Egyptian chronology in brief, this book is sure to inform and enchant a new generation of readers.

Customer Reviews:

good general reference to myths & legends of Ancient Egypt.......2000-06-14

This book relates many interesting stories about the Ancient Egyptian gods. Amongst those featured are the Daily Voyage of Ra through the sky, the mythical story of Osiris and Isis, the battle of Horus with his uncle Seth, the destruction of mankind by Hathor, the secret name of Ra, the book of Toth and the famous Tale of Two Brothers. There is a useful glossary of Ancient Egyptian gods. The book is clearly written with concise and brief explanations.

Average customer rating:

Interior art is just as inspiring!
Myths are fun.....right?

Ancient Egyptians
Sarah Quie
Manufacturer: Peter Bedrick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ancient | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This book offers readers a beautiful blend of history and mythology - providing a new approach to exploring the Ancient Egyptians. This book retells a selection of important myths, using dramatic illustrations and supplementing them with historical and cultural information, including realistic maps and diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

Interior art is just as inspiring!.......2006-08-02

I don't know what book the previous reviewer was viewing but it wasn't this one! The artwork (and the photos) throughout the book was equally as inspiring and beautifully done as the cover art! If you like the cover art, you certainly won't be disappointed by the work the artist has presented throughout the book.

Myths are fun.....right?.......2002-01-11

This book caught my attention at the local library because of the astonishingly moving illustration on the front cover. If you have the money to spare, buy this book, rip off the front cover, crop it down and frame it. Well, maybe not.

Honestly, though, my congratulations to the cover artist.

Unfortunately, none of the interior art is half as good. From the cover I was hoping for a new insights on the old stories (or at least accurate ones!), a deep reverence for the culture and its beliefs, and a passion for their beauty. Most of the interior work is far more insipid, and the way the artifacts are presented felt too sterile.

It was nice to see myths and history side by side, but I honestly felt it could have been done in a fashion less suited to academics and more in tune with the actual heartbeat of a religion and culture that is only as dead as our imaginations. (Children are far more willing to dream and understand than grown-ups give them credit for, and they deserve books that honor that).

Average customer rating:

I like it a lot

It's great

The gods and Goddesses of ancient Egypt

gods and goddesses of ancient egypt

An interesting book for children!

The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
Leonard Everett Fisher
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Other | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0823412865

Customer Reviews:

I like it a lot.......2007-03-02

OK this is a kids book and a real simple one too, but it has come in real handy when I was explaining things about the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon to my colleagues at University. LOL

I think it is simple, yet it gives just enough information for someone to understand the pantheon (of course not in academic terms).

It's great.......2006-02-04

Helped me a lot with my 6th grade Gods research for my project

The gods and Goddesses of ancient Egypt.......2002-05-05

a great resource book for a 5th grade reaserch paper on gods ad goddesses in egypt

gods and goddesses of ancient egypt.......2000-05-23

My disapointment came when I was mislead by the company because I was decieved. The book supposedly was illustrated to be a level higher than it was. I assumed this book was an adult reading and not a child's info-study. Because the book cost only $6 I will not ask for a refund; however, in the future I believe there should be better communications between the customer and the supplier. Thank You for your time and I hope in the future that we will be able to work better together so I will have a mutual agreement and purchase more Egyptian itmes. Thank You.

An interesting book for children!.......2000-04-06

This book is a wonderful tool for teaching children about another culture's religion and way of life. It has brilliant pictures of the Gods like Isis, Osiris, Horus, Anubis, etc and the format is easy to follow. It tells all about the struggles they faced such as when Seth killed Osiris and when Isis went below to retrive him. You can read it to your child or your class at school or they can read it themselves. For any child that is interested in history outside the U.S. this is a must have for them. This book is wonderful for broadening a childs mind. I reccomend it to anyone.

Average customer rating:

Ancient Egypt (Myths and Legends of)
Abigail Frost
Manufacturer: Marshall Cavendish Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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