Schooled by Gordon Korman

13-year old Capricorn Anderson (or Cap) is different from other kids. He has never watched television, tasted pizza, held money or attended a public school. He has spent his whole life living on a commune with his hippie grandmother, Rain. Rain is Cap’s only relative and has been his teacher and only friend. When Rain falls out of a tree and has to spend two months in a hospital recovering from a broken hip, Cap has to move into a foster home. He ends up staying with his social worker, a former commune member, and her sarcastic teenage daughter. Cap also has to attend a public middle school for the first time. From the moment Cap enters the school, (Claverage Middle or C-Average) his strangeness make him a target for bullying. He has long, uncut hair; wears hemp tie-dyed clothes and sandals made from corn husks. He practices Tai-Chi on the lawn and plays 60’s music on a guitar. The tradition at C-Average is to elect the strangest kid and biggest nerd to be the 8th Grade Class President (as a joke) so the in crowd can make fun of him all year and there is no one any stranger than Cap, The clique does their best to make sure Cap fails at every endeavor (especially planning the annual Halloween Dance) but their plan backfires when other students stop laughing and begin to revere Cap and his pure heart, peaceful ways and unending patience. Before long, the roles have been reversed and characters who were popular are outcasts and the biggest nerd becomes the most popular student. Each chapter is written by a different character so we see events from their point-of-view and to see how they each change as the story progresses. The book is funny and enjoyable and one many students will enjoy reading.
Recommended grade levels: 6-8

Character Education Topics: bullying, new kid fitting into a new school, pressure to conform, cliques, learning self expression, strength of character, accepting different generations and ideas.