schooled

__Schooled__ by Gordon Korman ISBN: 978-0-7868-5692-3 ©2007 208 pages

Good sections to read aloud: pp. 3-5 when we are introduced to Cap pp. 10-11 where Mrs. Donnelly meets Cap for the first time p. 15 when Zach, the school bully, meets Cap for the first time

Summary: Capricorn Anderson has lived a sheltered life his entire 13 years with his grandmother, Rain, in a "community" called Garland (they are the only residents). There is no TV, no outside communication, and basically they fend for themselves and live off the land. When Rain breaks her hip in a fall, she is forced to stay in a hospital for rehab, which in turn forces Cap (for short) to live with a family and attend regular school (something he has never done). He is totally unprepared for this social way of life. He has only know Rain his entire life, and suddenly is attending a school with 1100+ students. He is singled out immediately and the butt of everyones jokes. Only...Cap doesn't realize that these individuals are teasing him. He goes along with everything, is confused, and basically drives people at school nuts because he isn't succombing to their pressure. How things turn around is mystifying and worth the read. The book changes characters chapter by chapter to give you an inside feeling on how all the main characters are feeling on a daily basis.

YA fiction-- Teen issue; middle school; bullies

©Jennifer Lang - WDMS - 2009