Schooled by Gordan Korman

"Caprcicorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television. He's never tasted pizza. Never even heard of a wedgie. Since he was little, his only experience has been living on farm commune and being homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain. But when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums and has to stay in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and her cranky teen daughter and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dying and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school. Right from the beginning, Cap's weirdness makes him a moving target at Claverage Middle School(dubbed C Average by the students). He has long, ungrommed hair; wears hemp clothes; and practices tai chi out on the lawn. Once Zach Powers, big man on campus, spots Cap, he can't wait to introduce him to the age-old tradition at C Average: the biggest nerd is nominated for class president....and wins."

This book sounded interesting, and I was really excited to read it. I really wanted it to be fresh and something new. With middle school and bullies involved, it had a lot of potential to stereo-type everyone as gum-chewing, wedgie giving teenagers.
Okay, so some kids were.
But others weren't.

SPOLIERS BELOW: (Please don't read this until after you read the book....you'll want to be surpised!)




Things I Liked: I liked Cap's attitude. He took into the idea of a completely new lifestlye pretty willingly. I liked how Naomi changed and became one of Cap's friend. I thought Mrs. Donnely's daughter, Sophie, was a crack up. The character development was strong, because I found myself wanting to really know what Cap's outcome would be. The story moved along pretty nicely, and surpisingly, I really liked how each chapter was from a different point of view. It kept things fresh. I LOVED that Cap was a good 8th grade president. I really wanted him to be able to stick something in Zach's face.

Things I Didn't Like: I didn't like how mean Darryl and Zach were. Are kids like that really that mean? Yes, I'm glad Naomi changed sides and went with Cap, but it just suddenly.....happened. One minute, she was desperatley in love with Zach, and I turn the page and she is doing tai chi with Cap on the school lawn. Maybe her heart was softened. I'm not sure. I didn't like that we never found out why Sophie's dad, Bill, left. In the story, it said the he would show up for a while and then just leave. Why? Business trip? Vacation? I wondered.



Overall, this book is great. It was refreshing. It definitely goes on my reccomendation list.

The City of Ember

Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow live in a world with no light, Ember. They are just turning 12, meaning it is time to be assigned jobs. They get the exact opposite of what they want. With an unexpected meet, they get into some trouble that Ember has never seen before. But, could there be light at the end of the tunnel?

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I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I loved the connection I felt immediately with Lina, and the storyline was very creative. Her characters were expertly created, and the plot kept turning sharp corners on me. If there was one thing for me, it was it took me a few chapters to really get into it. Once I did though, there was no stopping the rapid pace of the pages.

Jeanne DuPrau wrote a phenomenel book, not to mention series. This book is a keeper.