Schooled

If anyone was going to be picked on in 8th grade, it was going to be Hugh Winkleman. In fact, the most popular kid in school had already decided that Hugh was going to be the dork to be picked on for the year. That was until Capricorn Anderson came to C-Average Middle School. Cap (for short) is the oddest thing to happen to C-Average. Cap has never watched TV or eaten pizza. He has been home schooled his whole life by his grandmother Rain on a commune that has dwindled down to just Rain and Cap. When Rain has an accident, Cap is sent to live with a social worker who, as it turns out, is a former member of the commune. Cap with his long hair and peace loving attitude is soon the butt of all the jokes and elected class president as a joke. From Cap's initiation into the 21st century to the scene in which Cap says good-bye to his 1,100 fellow students, individually and by name, this is a book that inspires.


Gordon Korman does an excellent job in shifting the first-person narrative among characters: Cap, a social worker Mrs. Donnely (who takes him into her home), her daughter Sophie (who hates having Cap there), an A-list bully, a Z-list victim, a popular girl, the school principal, and a football player. Korman capably manages the shifting view points of characters who begin by scorning or resenting Cap for being different and end up on his side.

This is a wonderful read for any age but particularly 7th and 8th graders. This would be a great book for reluctant male readers. Some themes of this novel are: Conformity, Cliques, Uniqueness, Family, Friendship and Honesty.

To read an excerpt from the book click here