In Schooled, the latest book by popular youth author Gordon Korman, the tables get turned on just about everyone at a public middle school when a new student, Capricorn Anderson, arrives fresh from his secluded life on an alternative farm commune. Raised and home-schooled by his no-nonsense grandmother, 13-year-old Cap drives her to the hospital following a crippling accident on the farm. Enter a social worker who identifies with the long-haired youth and takes him into her own home during grandmother's few weeks of medical rehabilitation. She enrolls him in the local middle school and tries to help him transition into the "real world" of TV, cell phones, video games and the 21st century in general. Intelligent and capable, innocent and naive, Cap quickly becomes the victim of some outlandish pranks by the resident bullies, but his unexpected reactions soon elevate him to a level of A-list popularity normally reserved for cheerleaders and jocks. The author deftly shifts narration from chapter to chapter among the principle characters, with each giving his or her take on events. Before too long those who scorned Cap for his different-ness now celebrate him for it. By the end of the novel, when Cap says good-bye to his 1,100 fellow students individually and by name, readers will have experienced some memorable moments of humor, tenderness, and genuine reflection, seeing something of themselves within this school story. From the eye-catching cover to the final page, this wonderful novel about being different from everyone else will surely appeal to middle-schoolers or anyone who has ever been one. Like Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, this book would make a great starting point for a discussion of the stifling effects of conformity within school culture...or you could just read it for the fun of it. This book is currently available at the SMS library.
