= Partner SiteMr. Terupt Falls Again Reading Level: A Complete Guide
Mr. Terupt Falls Again, written by Rob Buyea, is the sequel to Because of Mr. Terupt — the same seven narrators, now sixth-graders, spending one more year with Mr. Terupt before heading to junior high. The reading level is notably higher than Book 1 (680L and ATOS 4.5 versus 560L and 3.7), the stakes for each narrator are more personal and more complex, and the storylines reflect the specific challenges of sixth grade: pressure from parents, encounters with older students, family secrets, and the first stirrings of things that weren’t present in fifth grade. School Library Journal called it “a skillful meshing of characters and story lines” and another great read. Published in 2013 by Delacorte Press, it is Book 2 in the four-book series. This guide covers reading level, age appropriateness, content, and what’s new in this installment.
For Parents
The sequel to Because of Mr. Terupt — same seven narrators, now in sixth grade, with more complex personal stakes for each. Ages 9–13, grades 4–7. Content note: Alexia’s storyline involves peer pressure from older students including a drunk driving incident. Other storylines involve family secrets and a search for an absent parent. A step up in both reading level and emotional complexity from Book 1.
For Teachers
A grades 4–7 sequel that develops the seven narrators considerably beyond their fifth-grade selves. The jump in reading level from Book 1 (560L → 680L; ATOS 3.7 → 4.5) reflects genuine growth in narrative complexity. Alexia’s storyline with older students is the most age-sensitive thread and worth previewing. Natural step-up from Book 1 for the same classroom community.
Mr. Terupt Falls Again at a Glance
Find on Amazon →| Author | Rob Buyea |
| Published | 2013 (Delacorte Press / Random House) |
| Grade Level | 4–7 (our assessment) |
| Recommended Age | 9–13 |
| Lexile | 680L |
| ATOS Level | 4.5 |
| Word Count | 59,029 |
| Pages | 400 |
| Genre | Realistic fiction / school story |
| Series | Mr. Terupt, Book 2 of 4 |
| Setting | Snow Hill School, Connecticut; sixth grade |
For official Lexile and AR levels, visit Lexile.com or AR BookFinder. ReadingVine provides independent editorial assessments.
What Reading Level Is Mr. Terupt Falls Again?
Lexile 680L, ATOS 4.5, grades 5–8 — a meaningful jump from Because of Mr. Terupt (560L, ATOS 3.7). The increase reflects genuine narrative growth: the seven narrators’ voices are more developed, the storylines are more complex and intertwined, and the word count nearly doubles (37,164 → 59,029). Our assessment: grades 4–7, ages 9–13. Children who read Book 1 independently at grade 4 should handle Book 2 comfortably; the increase is earned rather than jarring. For official scores, visit Lexile.com or AR BookFinder.
What Age Is Mr. Terupt Falls Again Appropriate For?
Ages 9–13, grades 4–7. The content is more mature than Book 1:
Alexia’s storyline involves peer pressure from high school students, including alcohol use and a drunk driving incident. These are handled as the serious consequences they are rather than casually presented, but parents of younger readers in the interest range should be aware before sharing. Other storylines involve a child searching for an absent father and a family secret involving a teenage pregnancy in a prior generation — both handled with sensitivity but present. No other significant content concerns.
What Is Mr. Terupt Falls Again About?
The seven narrators are back for sixth grade — their last year with Mr. Terupt before junior high separates them. Each brings unfinished business from fifth grade and new complications from the year ahead. Peter’s parents are pressuring him to attend private school after sixth grade; Peter is determined to stay. Alexia, eager to seem older and more sophisticated, gets entangled with high school students whose influence takes her somewhere dangerous. Jessica discovers surprising information about Mr. Terupt’s past that complicates her admiration for him. Anna decides she is finally ready to search for the truth about her absent father. Danielle suspects her family is keeping a secret from her. Luke’s mathematical observations lead him to unexpected conclusions. Jeffrey’s storyline develops in ways connected to Mr. Terupt’s special project for the year.
Mr. Terupt, meanwhile, is running a project that will draw all seven students together in a shared endeavor — and will ask something of each of them individually. The book asks whether the community built in fifth grade can hold under the new pressures of sixth, and whether the seven narrators are the people Mr. Terupt helped them become, or whether they are slipping back.
How Does Mr. Terupt Falls Again Compare to Book 1?
Readers who loved Because of Mr. Terupt will find Book 2 satisfying but different in tone. The warmth of the first book is present, but the stakes for each narrator are higher and more personal — sixth grade is more complicated than fifth, and Buyea does not pretend otherwise. Some reviewers have found the shift jarring, noting that the characters feel somewhat altered by growth in ways that are realistic but that separate them from who they were in Book 1. This is arguably honest to how children change between fifth and sixth grade rather than a flaw in the writing.
The reading level jump is real: the book is longer, the voices are more complex, and Alexia’s storyline in particular goes places that Book 1 did not approach. Parents who are selecting the book for children at the younger end of the interest range (ages 9–10) should preview Alexia’s chapters first.
Books Similar to Mr. Terupt Falls Again
About Rob Buyea
See our Because of Mr. Terupt guide for a full biography. Mr. Terupt Falls Again was published in 2013, three years after the first book. Buyea has continued the series with Saving Mr. Terupt (2015) and Goodbye, Mr. Terupt — the conclusion. All four books follow the same seven narrators from fifth grade through the end of their time at Snow Hill School.
Mr. Terupt Falls Again: Frequently Asked Questions
What reading level is Mr. Terupt Falls Again?
Lexile 680L, ATOS 4.5, grades 5–8. Our assessment: grades 4–7, ages 9–13. A meaningful jump from Book 1 (560L, ATOS 3.7) reflecting genuine narrative growth in complexity and word count. For official scores, visit Lexile.com or AR BookFinder.
Do I need to read Because of Mr. Terupt first?
Yes — Book 2 assumes full knowledge of all seven narrators, their relationships, and the snowball accident that ended Book 1. Beginning here without that foundation loses significant emotional weight. Read in order.
Is Mr. Terupt Falls Again more mature than Book 1?
Yes — the content is more mature on multiple fronts. Alexia’s storyline involves alcohol use and a drunk driving incident involving older students. Other storylines involve a child searching for an absent father and a family secret. Both reading level and content reflect that these characters are sixth-graders rather than fifth-graders. Parents of younger readers (ages 9–10) should preview Alexia’s chapters first.
How many books are in the Mr. Terupt series?
Four: Because of Mr. Terupt (2010), Mr. Terupt Falls Again (2013), Saving Mr. Terupt (2015), and Goodbye, Mr. Terupt. All four follow the same seven narrators from fifth grade through the end of their time at Snow Hill School. Read in order.
