Schooled

Schooled by Gordan Korman

Schooled starts off with the unlikely and ends with the unlikely too, but that's okay because every once in a while a middle school geek can dream, right? Cap Anderson is a home-schooled 8th grader who has been raised by his hippie Grandma named Rain. Rain is Cap's only true friend. His life consists of nature and self-directed learning ... and very little contact with the modern world.

When Rain falls from a tree and must be hospitalized for several weeks, Cap is taken in by a local social worker named Mrs. Donnelly. Cap is enrolled at Claverage Middle School and immediately becomes the butt of many jokes and the biggest prank of all... being voted class president. A longstanding tradition at C-Average Middle School involves voting the biggest loser as class president, and then giving him or her a hard time for the remainder of the year. At this point, hijinks ensue that make us grin (at times at Cap's expense), lift our spirits (due to Cap's unwavering belief in the good nature of people), and make us squirm (because it makes us feel awkward to see someone unknowingly blunder so badly).

This book is chock full of a cast of characters. Each chapter is told in first person from a different character's point of view. (The last book I read like this was My Sister's Keeper by Piccoult.) It's extremely well-done. The prose is peppy, quick, and easy to visualize. Readers will even find themselves relating to many of the characters and empathizing with them too -- even for the coolest (and cruelest) middle-schooler, Zach Powers. Some might criticize this book for being unrealistic, but it's nice to dream that the school outcast can become the most beloved member of a school.

This would/could make a great read aloud.

Grade: A-