My Teacher Is an Alien

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My Teacher is an Alien is a four-book science fiction children's book series authored by Bruce Coville. The titles include:

  • My Teacher is an Alien (1989)
  • My Teacher Fried my Brains (1991)
  • My Teacher Glows in the Dark (1991)
  • My Teacher Flunked the Planet (1992)

Plot Summary[edit]

My Teacher is an Alien[edit]

The plot is about three American children—Peter Thompson, who is considered to be a nerd, Susan Simmons and Duncan Dougal the bully. Susan discovers that Mr. Smith—their unfriendly teacher— is an orange-eyed green humanoid called Broxholm, who seems to be planning a world invasion. She calls upon Peter for help, and later for Duncan. They later discover that Broxholm are much more complex about the fate of Earth. At the end of My Teacher is an Alien, the children publicly reveal Mr. Smith to be the alien Broxholm, and he escapes into space with Peter.

My Teacher Fried My Brains[edit]

Three months later, in My Teacher Fried My Brains, former bully Duncan Dougal discovers an alien’s human disguise in the form human skin-like glove in a dumpster, which leads him to believe that there is still another alien posing as someone else at the school. While investigating, Duncan participates in an in-class demonstration of static electricity that he comes to believe has made him more intelligent. Since he believes this machine is making him more intelligent, he sneaks into his science classroom after school hours to use it. He gradually becomes a much more thoughtful and considerate person. One day when he is using the machine he discovers an alien creature “Poot” in the classroom refrigerator, which makes him even more suspicious of his science teacher.

One day after school when Duncan was having a terrible day, he goes into his home economics teacher Miss Betty Lou Karpou’s classroom to seek advice. During this conversation, Miss Karpou is revealed to be the alien and identifies herself as Kreeblim. She freezes Duncan’s body and uses his brain as a means of communication among other aliens in the galaxy who are trying to decide what they want to do with humans. Susan, the hero of the previous story, tries to save Duncan when Kreeblim is out of her house, however the two of them do not get out of the house in time.

At the end of the book, Peter (with enhanced eyesight) and Broxholm return, and Duncan and Susan decide to help Peter prove to the Interplanetary Council, the ruling aliens of the galaxy, that the human race is worth saving.

My Teacher Glows in the Dark[edit]

Peter explains to Duncan and Susan what happened to him in the last few months, in My Teacher Glows in the Dark.


Peter quickly learns that the galaxy is stranger than he had previously believed, and also discovers that the assembled alien races think humanity is uncivilized and dangerous, and are close to discovering the secret of interstellar space flight. This has led the aliens to study Earth to find out why we are the way we are, and divided the aliens into faction that variously believe Earth should be left alone, conquered, quarantined, or destroyed.

Peter agrees to have his brain examined, in an effort to determine if humanity's behavior is due to a biological condition. After much study, the aliens discover that Peter is latently and naturally telepathic, which is apparently quite rare in the galaxy. Unfortunately, while attempting to study this further, Hoo-Lan falls into a coma, which the aliens suspect is Peter's doing. Oddly, they are made even more suspicious when, despite having given Peter free rein of the ship, he goes to a communications room and contacts Duncan to try to warn Earth of the aliens' plans.

The book ends with the aliens agreeing to give Peter and Broxholm one last chance to find some redeeming characteristic of humanity that would save it, apparently having decided that otherwise they will destroy the Earth. Peter and Broxholm return to Earth, setting up their appearance at the end of My Teacher Fried my Brains.

My Teacher Flunked the Planet[edit]

Peter, Susan and Duncan end up together again with Kreeblim and Broxholm for My Teacher Flunked the Planet, as they decide to join their forces to defend Earth in front of the interplanetary council. After numerous discussions, with Hoo-Lan's help they make the case that humanity needs to be left alone to develop independently, and seek the council's approval when it is ready.n

Computer game[edit]

A computer game based on the series was produced by 7th Level and Byron Preiss Multimedia Company.[1] Players can take the perspective of the three main children in the series, Peter Thompson, Duncan Dougal or Susan Simmons.


  1. ^ "My Teacher Is an Alien". X Game Database. Retrieved 2011-07-07.