Schooled Schooled . Korman, Gordon; Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 2007. Grade Level: 6-8 ISBN & cost: 978-078685692-3, $15.99 Blanket Permission to Reproduce Book Jackets: Used by permission of the Publisher |
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Synopsis:
After growing up totally removed from today's world, raised and homeschooled by his grandmother “Rain,” an aging “hippie” who is still living in her own world circa the 1960's, Capricorn (“Cap”) is thrust into a new life as a student at a public middle school when Rain has to enter a rehabilitation facility for a broken hip. Cap must try to fit into a world he has been taught to stay away from, and after he is elected eighth grade president as a joke by the “cool” crowd, he and his classmates have to acknowledge that some of the values that Rain taught him perhaps aren't too old-fashioned for today's world.
General Review:
Anyone who has ever felt out of place in a crowd will relate to Cap's experiences as the new kid who doesn't dress right among students who equate in-style clothes with worthiness.
Themes: Middle school students – Juvenile fiction; Home schooling – Juvenile fiction; Hippies – Juvenile fiction; Zen Buddhism – Juvenile fiction; Leadership in children – Juvenile fiction; United States – History, 1961-1969 – Juvenile fiction; Student government – Juvenile fiction
Author information: http://www.gordonkorman.com/
Something About the Author , Volume 81
Korman, Gordon in Contemporary Authors Online from Gale's Literature Resource Center. Available through free access to KanED Education Desktop/State Library Databases.
Discussion Questions: (Standard 3; Benchmark 3)
• Put yourself in their place: You don't have a television, as Cap and Rain didn't at the commune. What type of activities would you do in place of watching television? Could you survive without a cell phone and a computer?
• What kind of person was Sophie at the beginning of the story? What incidents happened in Schooled that changed Sophie's opinion about Cap, and why do you think so?
(Literature Standard 4, Benchmark 2) Zach
3. What is the significance of the title? (Reading Standard 1, Benchmark 5)
4. When Sophie heard “All You Need is Love” when taking her driving test, suddenly her tears were flowing, and she couldn't stop crying. Why do you think that happened? Has music ever affected you emotionally in this way?
Activities:
• Interview someone in your family or your town who lived through the 1960's. Write a short paper about changes they observe in today's world versus that era.
(Standard 3: Benchmark 2)
2. Go to the library and find information about communes that were active during the 1960's. If possible, find someone who lived in one and interview him or her about experiences there. (Standard 1; Benchmark 5)
3. Research to learn more about music and musicians of the 60's era that are mentioned in the book. (Standard 3, Benchmark 3; Standard 5, Benchmark 1)
Similar Books for Further Reading
- The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
- The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
- Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
