Schooled, by Gordon Korman, is the story of Capricorn Anderson, a thirteen-year-old boy who has spent his entire life living in simplicity on a commune with his grandmother, Rain. When Rain falls and has to stay in the hospital for rehabilitation, Cap must stay with a guidance counselor, Flora, and her teenage daughter, Sophie. As Cap enters the eighth grade, attending public school for the first time, he faces taunting and many unfamiliar situations and new experiences. But he faces it all with a strength and serenity that comes from his upbringing and values. Even when the school elects him eighth-grade-class president as a joke, he surprises everyone by turning out to be the best class president ever, in spite of his naivety, and by the end of his time there, he has learned the names of all eleven hundred students. Each chapter was told from the point of view of one of the main characters in the book, and this was well done and did not detract from the fluency of the storyline. I enjoyed reading about this young man, who surprised me almost as much as he surprised his classmates.
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart, is the name that four brave, highly intelligent children gave themselves as they were working on a secret and dangerous mission for their leader and mentor Mr. Benedict. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance succeeded not only in saving the world, but also in acquiring families for themselves. Upper elementary through middle school readers will love the bravery, wit, and curiosity of these four young heroes as they unravel mysteries and unlock codes in this page-turner. I found the book very easy to read, but very hard to put down. I grew to love the characters, and can’t wait to read the sequel to find out more about these unusually gifted children and their “perilous journey” through childhood.
Schooled, by Gordon Korman, is the story of Capricorn Anderson, a thirteen-year-old boy who has spent his entire life living in simplicity on a commune with his grandmother, Rain. When Rain falls and has to stay in the hospital for rehabilitation, Cap must stay with a guidance counselor, Flora, and her teenage daughter, Sophie. As Cap enters the eighth grade, attending public school for the first time, he faces taunting and many unfamiliar situations and new experiences. But he faces it all with a strength and serenity that comes from his upbringing and values. Even when the school elects him eighth-grade-class president as a joke, he surprises everyone by turning out to be the best class president ever, in spite of his naivety, and by the end of his time there, he has learned the names of all eleven hundred students. Each chapter was told from the point of view of one of the main characters in the book, and this was well done and did not detract from the fluency of the storyline. I enjoyed reading about this young man, who surprised me almost as much as he surprised his classmates.
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart, is the name that four brave, highly intelligent children gave themselves as they were working on a secret and dangerous mission for their leader and mentor Mr. Benedict. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance succeeded not only in saving the world, but also in acquiring families for themselves. Upper elementary through middle school readers will love the bravery, wit, and curiosity of these four young heroes as they unravel mysteries and unlock codes in this page-turner. I found the book very easy to read, but very hard to put down. I grew to love the characters, and can’t wait to read the sequel to find out more about these unusually gifted children and their “perilous journey” through childhood.
No comments:
Post a Comment