Holiday Gift Idea: "The Perfect Answer" by Andrew Brezak

Looking for unique holiday gift ideas? How about a book written by a Sachem teacher?

"The Perfect Answer," written by Andrew Brezak, a social studies teacher at Sachem High School North, has been available throughout 2011, but adding it to your pile of gifts today wouldn't hurt.

The story is about a student – Derrick – who learns the perfect answer of life through history class and his teacher named Mr. C.

Brezak said the character is named after a former Sachem student of his, but does not mimic real life situations or his personality.

Brezak originally wrote this as a short story, which was chosen to appear in the anthology, “30 Fabulous Stories.”

“The more I thought about who Mr. C was and who Derrick was, I developed them in my mind to make the lesson real,” he said. “I wanted to pursue the characters more.”

In the book, Mr. C develops cancer and ponders leaving teaching. Derrick is a lost kid, who is thrown out of school and never levels out until he goes into the service. The story flashes back and forth from Iraq to library discussions between Derrick and Mr. C. The novel ends with a dramatic climax, as both student and teacher will learn just how much they have impacted each other’s lives.

“Derrick goes on to be a hero in Iraq,” Brezak said. “It validates Mr. C's existence as a teacher. He made the right choice and his life is worth living.”

RELATED: Follow "The Perfect Answer" page on Facebook

RELATED: Purchase the book now!