Pick Your Favorite Abbott Elementary Character and We’ll Give You A Book
Abbott Elementary is one of the funniest shows on television. The second season of Quinta Brunson’s mockumentary comedy series is airing right now and we can’t get enough of it. If you love Abbott Elementary and its hilarious cast of characters, read on to find out what book you should read based on your favorite Abbott Elementary character.
Janine Teagues
Janine Teagues is plucky and enthusiastic. If Janine is your favorite Abbott Elementary character, then you probably love her positive attitude. You need a fun, optimistic rom-com like Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. Rosaline Palmer has just landed a spot on the nation’s most-watched baking show. And just in time too, because Rosaline is struggling to make ends meet. Winning the prize money would help Rosaline pay bills and give her daughter the life she deserves. But will the competition—and an unexpected romance—get in the way?
Barbara Howard
Barbara Howard is much more practical than her fellow teacher Janine. She has been around for a while and is realistic about the way the world works. But in the face of adversity, Barbara stays tough and resourceful. If Barbara is your favorite character, check out Free Food for Millionaires, a story about strong-willed Casey Han, a daughter of Korean immigrants who is determined to make it on her own in Manhattan, in spite of financial hardships.
Jacob Hill
If your favorite character is history teacher Jacob Hill, then you need to read this historical fiction book with a focus on social justice. What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster looks at what happens when county in North Carolina moves to integrate its high schools. In response to community outrage over the decision, a school play is planned to bridge the divide between the students. Gee and Noelle both find themselves cast in the play. Little did they know it would put them right in the middle of the integration debate that will affect their lives and their families for the next 20 years.
Melissa Schemmenti
If your favorite character is Melissa Schemmenti, then you love your humor with a dark edge. So you’ll love Shashi Bhat’s The Most Precious Substance on Earth. The book centers around Nina, who as a teenager spends her spare time reading Beowulf and flirting with an Internet predator. This darkly funny and unsettling book follows Nina’s story from when she is a teen in the 90s to present day, when she returns to teach high school as an adult and realizes the past is never too far behind her.
Gregory Eddie
Kind, earnest Gregory Eddie was supposed to be the principal at Abbott Elementary. But even though life hasn’t gone entirely to plan, he’s finding his way towards a life that’s what he ultimately wants. This is much like the main character in Mike Gayle’s All the Lonely People. This is the heartwarming story of widower Hubert Bird, who paints a happy picture of his retirement every time he speaks to his daughter on the phone. But it’s all a lie. So when his daughter comes to visit, Hubert is faced with the impossible task of making his fantasy life a reality.
Ava Coleman
A lot of people don’t take Ava Coleman seriously, but if she’s your favorite, you appreciate a cutthroat character who puts themselves first and isn’t afraid to do what it takes to get what they want. So you need a thriller like Sarah Bonner’s Her Perfect Twin. When Megan discovers pictures of her estranged identical twin sister Leah on her husband’s phone, she has questions. But when Megan confronts Leah, an argument turns to murder. Now the only way Megan can get away with killing her twin is to become her.
Emily Martin has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. She’s a contributing editor at Book Riot and blogs/podcasts at Book Squad Goals.