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Schooled
Young Adult novel. Fourteen year old Capricorn Anderson lives in a hippie commune with his grandmother, Rain, who homeschools him until she injures herself, forcing him to go to public school and live with a social worker. Cap has to navigate the very worst kinds of middle school pranks, including being elected eighth grade president without running for the "honor." Will he retain his integrity or even his sanity?
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2007
1173 people are currently reading
10656 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
239 books4,163 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,204 reviews
April 10, 2008
I loved this book! This boy, Cap (short for Capricorn) has all the perfect ideals we all think we have, but really don't, and he remains true to himself despite being the weirdest and most tortured kid in school. It's dramatic, and unrealistic, but has kind of awakened the hippie in me! I think I'll tye-dye shirts this week with the kids...
November 6, 2009
Ok, first off I'm a home schooled, so I was immediately mistrustful of this book. But Gordon Korman is one of favorite authors, so I gave it a try. It was insulting. It played off of every stereotype of homeschoolers! That we're social misfits who don't know anything and are really freaks who need to conform to the social standards and just go to school. Excuse me?
The main character of the book is Cap, who is a hippy who's been raised on a farm, homeschooled by his grandma, and has never watched TV or eaten pizza. An accident throws him into the public school system and he is ridiculed for his odd habits including Yoga and hand-made clothes. Slowly but surely Cap is transformed (mostly due to the power of bullying) into a "normal" kid who goes to school and is popular with everyone because of his amazing talents.
My personal dislike aside, this book was OK, I suppose, and it had it's funny moments. Gordon Korman is a great writer, but he's wasting his talent writing these kind of books.
The main character of the book is Cap, who is a hippy who's been raised on a farm, homeschooled by his grandma, and has never watched TV or eaten pizza. An accident throws him into the public school system and he is ridiculed for his odd habits including Yoga and hand-made clothes. Slowly but surely Cap is transformed (mostly due to the power of bullying) into a "normal" kid who goes to school and is popular with everyone because of his amazing talents.
My personal dislike aside, this book was OK, I suppose, and it had it's funny moments. Gordon Korman is a great writer, but he's wasting his talent writing these kind of books.
August 21, 2022
করম্যানের বই ধরতে না ধরতে শেষ হয়ে যাচ্ছে!!প্রতিবার মনে হচ্ছে, বইটা এতো ছোট ক্যানো! "স্কুলড " এর নায়ক ক্যাপরিকর্ন বা ক্যাপ হচ্ছে হিপ্পি।দাদির সাথেই কেটেছে তার সমস্ত জীবন।আধুনিক কোনো প্রযুক্তির সাথে ক্যাপের পরিচয় নেই। দাদি রেইন অসুস্থ হওয়ার পর জীবনে প্রথমবার বাধ্য হয়ে দাদি ব্যতীত অন্য মানুষদের সাথে বসবাস করা শুরু করে সে।ভর্তি হয় স্কুলে। সারাবছর মনের সুখে বুলিং করার জন্য ক্যাপকে এইটথ গ্রেডের প্রেসিডেন্ট বানিয়ে দ্যায় স্কুল বুলি জ্যাখ। কী হোলো এরপর তা নিয়েই মূল গল্প। যথারীতি মজার, যথারীতি অন্তর্দৃষ্টিসম্পন্ন করম্যান স্বমহিমায় উপস্থিত এখানেও। মিডল গ্রেডের জন্য লেখা বইয়ের সমস্ত কমন ট্রোপ ব্যবহার করেও করম্যান যেভাবে পাঠকদের আগ্রহ জাগিয়ে রাখতে পারেন সেটা নিঃসন্দেহে বিরাট কৃতিত্বের ব্যাপার।
করম্যানের এবারের নায়ক ক্যাপ proactive। কেউ তাকে ভাঙতে পারে না। বিরূপ পরিস্থিতিতে অন্য সবাই যেখানে কেঁদেকেটে, রেগে, চিৎকার করে, শাপ শাপান্ত করতো পুরো পৃথিবীকে; সেখানে ক্যাপ আশ্চর্যরকম শান্ত, ধ্যানী এবং নিরুত্তাপ। এই চরিত্র থেকে নেওয়ার আছে অনেক কিছু।
করম্যানের এবারের নায়ক ক্যাপ proactive। কেউ তাকে ভাঙতে পারে না। বিরূপ পরিস্থিতিতে অন্য সবাই যেখানে কেঁদেকেটে, রেগে, চিৎকার করে, শাপ শাপান্ত করতো পুরো পৃথিবীকে; সেখানে ক্যাপ আশ্চর্যরকম শান্ত, ধ্যানী এবং নিরুত্তাপ। এই চরিত্র থেকে নেওয়ার আছে অনেক কিছু।
January 20, 2012
4.5 STARS
I probably would never have picked this book up on my own. I have a bit of trepidation with books about homeschool--so far, I haven't been that comfortable with how homeschoolers are portrayed in various forms of media--and this one, with thirteen year old Capricorn Anderson being raised alone in a farm commune by his hippie grandmother, Rain, sounded like another book about some off-the-wall family that didn't represent at all what homeschool is like for most of us. But, my husband really liked the book and suggested I read it. So, I did.
I have to say, I ended up really liking it. It was fast-paced and all the characters seemed believable and vivid. The book is comprised of short segments from the perspective of various characters, from Cap himself to Mrs Donnelley, social worker who takes him in after Rain has to go to rehab from hip surgery (and who grew up on the commune herself until her parents decided they wanted a different life for their family); to some of the kids Cap meets when he starts 8th grade--Hugh, who was the bottom of the bottom until Cap became a bigger target; Zack, leader of the cool kids who gets Cap elected as 8th grade president just so everyone can make even more fun of him; Naomi, who likes Zack but starts to be won over by Cap's kindness and maturity in the face of cruel enmity. I devoured the book in an afternoon! At times I felt that Cap was a bit too naive about a few things, but overall it worked okay.
I appreciate that the book doesn't give easy answers, and that the characters all have complex thoughts and emotions. It's easy to see how much the middle school kids do, not based on their own convictions or sense of morality, but as some way to keep their heads above water in the cruel shark-tank they face Monday through Friday. It may not be right, yet they see it as survival, but the weird thing is that they are fighting amongst themselves (and, it could be argued, against the greater institute / adults that put them there) and perhaps it just takes someone from the outside to help them see it doesn't have to be that way. Cap is that person. Everything Rain taught him, all the hippie ideals of non-violence and "all you need is love", help him get through the bullying he experiences initially (if he even realizes it is bullying) and even attract some genuine friends.
I won't say more and spoil the story. As for the homeschool aspect, I do think Rain's methods are portrayed as unorthodox and not meant to reflect homeschoolers as a whole. It is interesting that we never get Rain's perspective, she is not one of the story's narrators. While certainly there are things to censure about raising a child so isolated from the rest of humanity, there is also much to admire about the way Rain raised Cap. He is a kind, gentle soul; he is thoughtful and selfless; he is in the top five percentile academically (they do have him take the standardized tests every year). Perhaps best of all, and what most homeschool parents would say is a primary goal in their decision to educate their children at home, is that Cap knows himself. And he stays true to himself, even when he faces a wider, and often hostile, world. And, while he may not be "social" in the same way that the middle school kids are, his brand of interacting with humanity is certainly much more effective.
I think the ending works well, allowing the characters to stay true to themselves without making the real world into a complete fantasy world. I do wonder if the transformation of the middle school kids was a bit idealized, but I liked the message. And while I had a difficult time identifying with a few of Cap's and Rain's struggles and decisions in the end, I can appreciate them and respect them. I also don't think the book fully condones or condemns either Rain's approach to education or that of public school, which, I think, makes this book appealing to a broader spectrum of readers.
I probably would never have picked this book up on my own. I have a bit of trepidation with books about homeschool--so far, I haven't been that comfortable with how homeschoolers are portrayed in various forms of media--and this one, with thirteen year old Capricorn Anderson being raised alone in a farm commune by his hippie grandmother, Rain, sounded like another book about some off-the-wall family that didn't represent at all what homeschool is like for most of us. But, my husband really liked the book and suggested I read it. So, I did.
I have to say, I ended up really liking it. It was fast-paced and all the characters seemed believable and vivid. The book is comprised of short segments from the perspective of various characters, from Cap himself to Mrs Donnelley, social worker who takes him in after Rain has to go to rehab from hip surgery (and who grew up on the commune herself until her parents decided they wanted a different life for their family); to some of the kids Cap meets when he starts 8th grade--Hugh, who was the bottom of the bottom until Cap became a bigger target; Zack, leader of the cool kids who gets Cap elected as 8th grade president just so everyone can make even more fun of him; Naomi, who likes Zack but starts to be won over by Cap's kindness and maturity in the face of cruel enmity. I devoured the book in an afternoon! At times I felt that Cap was a bit too naive about a few things, but overall it worked okay.
I appreciate that the book doesn't give easy answers, and that the characters all have complex thoughts and emotions. It's easy to see how much the middle school kids do, not based on their own convictions or sense of morality, but as some way to keep their heads above water in the cruel shark-tank they face Monday through Friday. It may not be right, yet they see it as survival, but the weird thing is that they are fighting amongst themselves (and, it could be argued, against the greater institute / adults that put them there) and perhaps it just takes someone from the outside to help them see it doesn't have to be that way. Cap is that person. Everything Rain taught him, all the hippie ideals of non-violence and "all you need is love", help him get through the bullying he experiences initially (if he even realizes it is bullying) and even attract some genuine friends.
I won't say more and spoil the story. As for the homeschool aspect, I do think Rain's methods are portrayed as unorthodox and not meant to reflect homeschoolers as a whole. It is interesting that we never get Rain's perspective, she is not one of the story's narrators. While certainly there are things to censure about raising a child so isolated from the rest of humanity, there is also much to admire about the way Rain raised Cap. He is a kind, gentle soul; he is thoughtful and selfless; he is in the top five percentile academically (they do have him take the standardized tests every year). Perhaps best of all, and what most homeschool parents would say is a primary goal in their decision to educate their children at home, is that Cap knows himself. And he stays true to himself, even when he faces a wider, and often hostile, world. And, while he may not be "social" in the same way that the middle school kids are, his brand of interacting with humanity is certainly much more effective.
I think the ending works well, allowing the characters to stay true to themselves without making the real world into a complete fantasy world. I do wonder if the transformation of the middle school kids was a bit idealized, but I liked the message. And while I had a difficult time identifying with a few of Cap's and Rain's struggles and decisions in the end, I can appreciate them and respect them. I also don't think the book fully condones or condemns either Rain's approach to education or that of public school, which, I think, makes this book appealing to a broader spectrum of readers.
May 13, 2020
3.5 stars
I feel a teeny bit irritated with this book. As a former homeschooler, I put up with far too many people assuming my education resembled Cap's to read about someone portraying exactly that kind of homeschooling with any equanimity.
Let's be clear, yo. I did have friends. I did use books. I did use a computer. I did not have goats. And yes, I did do school in my PJs. And with quarantine, I still do.
So, please, stop portraying homeschoolers as a bunch of weirdos!
But I get it in this book. The point isn't so much that Cap was homeschooled in a hippie commune. (Though obviously, that plays a central motivating role.) The premise is what happens when you drop a kid raised by hippies and without much sense of modern technology in a public school.
It actually paints a really affirming and sweet look of a kid raised to know at his core who he is. And while his extreme naivety gets him in some unlikely situations, I liked how his personality changed the people around him. The book does not sugar coat middle school. And because of that, it shows why homeschooling helped Cap become his own person without dealing with all the crap associated with school.
The ending left me slightly unsatisfied.
There was a lot to like. Thanks for the recommendation, Dad!
I feel a teeny bit irritated with this book. As a former homeschooler, I put up with far too many people assuming my education resembled Cap's to read about someone portraying exactly that kind of homeschooling with any equanimity.
Let's be clear, yo. I did have friends. I did use books. I did use a computer. I did not have goats. And yes, I did do school in my PJs. And with quarantine, I still do.
So, please, stop portraying homeschoolers as a bunch of weirdos!
But I get it in this book. The point isn't so much that Cap was homeschooled in a hippie commune. (Though obviously, that plays a central motivating role.) The premise is what happens when you drop a kid raised by hippies and without much sense of modern technology in a public school.
It actually paints a really affirming and sweet look of a kid raised to know at his core who he is. And while his extreme naivety gets him in some unlikely situations, I liked how his personality changed the people around him. The book does not sugar coat middle school. And because of that, it shows why homeschooling helped Cap become his own person without dealing with all the crap associated with school.
The ending left me slightly unsatisfied.
There was a lot to like. Thanks for the recommendation, Dad!
March 3, 2023
I love Gordon Korman. This book is a true, extreme fish-out-of-water tale of Capricorn Anderson, raised on a commune by his hippie grandmother, where he is homeschooled and, really, indoctrinated. When Rain (his grandmother) is injured, Cap spends six weeks at a publich middle school, where he is immediately elected class president-- a dubious honor always given to the biggest loser. But as Cap, who has never used a phone or handled money before in his life, struggles to learn the ropes, the people around him start appreciating his Zenlike calm and innocent outlook on life.
Read Aloud 2023: My daughter was starting to get very upset about this book, but I told her: Trust the Korman. And she did, and we all loved it!
Read Aloud 2023: My daughter was starting to get very upset about this book, but I told her: Trust the Korman. And she did, and we all loved it!
January 15, 2009
For my December book project, I chose the book, schooled, from a list of a variety of different books. I had absolutely no idea what the book was about until I actually got it, and it turned out a whole lot better than I thought it would be. Schooled is basically about a thirteen-year-old hippie who goes to a public school for the first time after being home-schooled by his grandmother until she's sent to the hospital due to a bad fall. But, when Capricorn Anderson(Cap) joins the new school, almost everyone there torments him and tries to break him so that he'll stop being SO nice. But, that all stops once everyone realizes that Cap is a much better person than the rest of them. So, everyone else begins to appreciate Cap as they try to become more like him.
I've learned from this book that you really learn more about yourself through people around you that you'd least expect to learn from. After reading about Capricorn Anderson, I thought to myself that I should act more like him instead of being so stubborn.
I suggest that you read this book because it will probably have a big impact on your life as it did on mine.
I've learned from this book that you really learn more about yourself through people around you that you'd least expect to learn from. After reading about Capricorn Anderson, I thought to myself that I should act more like him instead of being so stubborn.
I suggest that you read this book because it will probably have a big impact on your life as it did on mine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2022
হোয়াট এন এবসল্যুট হার্ট-ওয়ার্মিং ফিল-গুড বুক! রিজওয়ান খলিল, হাও ক্যান আই এভার থ্যাংক য়্যু ফর রেকমেন্ডিং গর্ডন করম্যান? য়্যু আর মাই ম্যান!
আংরেজি বুলি বাদ, বাংলায় আসি। দোস্ত রিজওয়ানকে কোট করেই বলি, কেউ যদি নিজের কৈশোরে মুহাম্মদ জাফর ইকবালের লেখা পছন্দ করে থাকে, এবং দুনিয়াদারির চাপে প্যাঁচ খেয়ে সিনিক্যাল জিলাপি হয়ে না যায়, গর্ডন করম্যানের লেখা তার ভাল লাগতে বাধ্য। কিশোর বয়সের হঠাৎ বেড়ে ওঠার টানাপোড়েন আছে, দুষ্টুমি আছে, হারাতে হারাতেও থেকে যাওয়া ইনোসেন্স আছে, স্কুলের সুন্দরী মেয়েগুলো বা রাফ এন্ড টাফ ছেলেদের দিকে আকর্ষণ আছে, আবেগ আছে, আমা��ের বুড়োদের জন্য খানিকটা বিরক্তিকর মেলোড্রামাও আছে। আছে বদ পোলাপান, পড়ুয়া নার্ড, মূল চরিত্র আছে যে সাধারণত ব্যতিক্রম হবে, আর এখন পর্যন��ত যা পড়েছি তাতে হ্যাপি এন্ডিংও আছে। মোটামুটি ফর্মুলায় ফেলা, বাট ওয়ার্কস ফর মি এভরি টাইম। মিডল গ্রেড বই বলে কিছু সামাজিক ইস্যুও থাকে, দ্যাট টু, ওয়ার্ক্স ফর মি, আই স্টিল হ্যাভন্ট গিভেন আপ অন দিজ ওয়ার্ল্ড। আর করম্যানের সবচেয়ে দুর্দান্ত ব্যাপার হলো উইট আর এগজিকিউশন। তিনি জানেন এ ধরণের বইয়ের পাঠকেরা কি চায়। পড়তে বসলে তাই বই একেবারে শেষ করেই উঠতে হবে।
খুব সামান্য কথায়, এক হিপ্পি নানী (বা দাদী)'র কাছে একটা নির্জন খামারে বড় হওয়া এক হিপ্পি কিশোরকে হঠাৎ করেই এক মিডল স্কুলে ভর্তি হতে হয়। একেবারে প্রথম মুহূর্ত থেকেই স্কুলের বড় গুণ্ডা তার পেছনে লাগে। দুনিয়াদারি নিয়ে কিছুই না জানা কিশোর এবার কি করবে?
বড়দের দৃষ্টিতে দেখলে রেটিং ৩। কিশোর পাঠকের চোখে দেখলে অবশ্যই ৪ তারা, কম করে হলেও।
আংরেজি বুলি বাদ, বাংলায় আসি। দোস্ত রিজওয়ানকে কোট করেই বলি, কেউ যদি নিজের কৈশোরে মুহাম্মদ জাফর ইকবালের লেখা পছন্দ করে থাকে, এবং দুনিয়াদারির চাপে প্যাঁচ খেয়ে সিনিক্যাল জিলাপি হয়ে না যায়, গর্ডন করম্যানের লেখা তার ভাল লাগতে বাধ্য। কিশোর বয়সের হঠাৎ বেড়ে ওঠার টানাপোড়েন আছে, দুষ্টুমি আছে, হারাতে হারাতেও থেকে যাওয়া ইনোসেন্স আছে, স্কুলের সুন্দরী মেয়েগুলো বা রাফ এন্ড টাফ ছেলেদের দিকে আকর্ষণ আছে, আবেগ আছে, আমা��ের বুড়োদের জন্য খানিকটা বিরক্তিকর মেলোড্রামাও আছে। আছে বদ পোলাপান, পড়ুয়া নার্ড, মূল চরিত্র আছে যে সাধারণত ব্যতিক্রম হবে, আর এখন পর্যন��ত যা পড়েছি তাতে হ্যাপি এন্ডিংও আছে। মোটামুটি ফর্মুলায় ফেলা, বাট ওয়ার্কস ফর মি এভরি টাইম। মিডল গ্রেড বই বলে কিছু সামাজিক ইস্যুও থাকে, দ্যাট টু, ওয়ার্ক্স ফর মি, আই স্টিল হ্যাভন্ট গিভেন আপ অন দিজ ওয়ার্ল্ড। আর করম্যানের সবচেয়ে দুর্দান্ত ব্যাপার হলো উইট আর এগজিকিউশন। তিনি জানেন এ ধরণের বইয়ের পাঠকেরা কি চায়। পড়তে বসলে তাই বই একেবারে শেষ করেই উঠতে হবে।
খুব সামান্য কথায়, এক হিপ্পি নানী (বা দাদী)'র কাছে একটা নির্জন খামারে বড় হওয়া এক হিপ্পি কিশোরকে হঠাৎ করেই এক মিডল স্কুলে ভর্তি হতে হয়। একেবারে প্রথম মুহূর্ত থেকেই স্কুলের বড় গুণ্ডা তার পেছনে লাগে। দুনিয়াদারি নিয়ে কিছুই না জানা কিশোর এবার কি করবে?
বড়দের দৃষ্টিতে দেখলে রেটিং ৩। কিশোর পাঠকের চোখে দেখলে অবশ্যই ৪ তারা, কম করে হলেও।
January 29, 2015
I loved this book even though it wasn't what I was looking for.
I was looking for books with realistically-written modern homeschooled characters, and this one was recommended to me. Unfortunately, Capricorn Anderson is not a realistic modern homeschooler at all. This book takes the stereotype of homeschoolers as weirdo hippies and puts it on steroids. This kid has grown up on an abandoned commune with only his grandmother and no friends his own age at all, and he understands nothing about the modern world. It's not any kind of realistic representation of homeschooling today. So, don't read it for that.
But the book -- and Cap as a character -- is fantastic! The point of the book is to look at middle school through the eyes of a complete outsider who understands absolutely nothing about the social situations there. It's one of those stories where you drop in an alien and realize that so many of the things we do make no sense at all. Cap's background is what it is because that allows him to illuminate all the things that are messed up and cruel about your standard American middle school.
The story is fantastic and the different characters' POV's are spot-on. I enjoyed this all the way through. Excellent book.
I was looking for books with realistically-written modern homeschooled characters, and this one was recommended to me. Unfortunately, Capricorn Anderson is not a realistic modern homeschooler at all. This book takes the stereotype of homeschoolers as weirdo hippies and puts it on steroids. This kid has grown up on an abandoned commune with only his grandmother and no friends his own age at all, and he understands nothing about the modern world. It's not any kind of realistic representation of homeschooling today. So, don't read it for that.
But the book -- and Cap as a character -- is fantastic! The point of the book is to look at middle school through the eyes of a complete outsider who understands absolutely nothing about the social situations there. It's one of those stories where you drop in an alien and realize that so many of the things we do make no sense at all. Cap's background is what it is because that allows him to illuminate all the things that are messed up and cruel about your standard American middle school.
The story is fantastic and the different characters' POV's are spot-on. I enjoyed this all the way through. Excellent book.
April 4, 2024
This book was ok except I predicted the ending.
August 25, 2018
1*
Literally the stupidest douchiest characters I've ever read. All these people deserve to die. I remembered this book from my middle school library and I wanted to remember what the plot was. The story is depressing and stupid at the same time. I feel so horrible after reading this. It's so repulsive.
So the theme is that this kid Cap has been raised alone by his grandma for 13 years in this cult-like society secluded from civilization. Well it's not really a cult anymore because it's just Cap and his grandma living as mentioned in the story "in the 60s".
So stuff happens and Cap goes to middle school and enter society for the first time. So almost every character is an idiot, a stereotype, and an asshole all at the same time. In addition the story isn't even enjoyable because Cap continuously gets bullied throughout the whole story so it's depressing as hell.
Cap isn't effected by the bullying by the way because of how he's raised. That's where I think the message of this story is horrible too. So while Cap goes to school he's living with this social worker lady who grew up in Cap's grandma's cult as a child. She mentioned that she had a hard time adjusting after getting out. So she definitely knows Cap's situation is horrible.
It's strange because this story is mostly about how weird Cap is from his grandma's values and lifestyle, but these values are also why he is an amazing, nice person? Another thing is that Cap is getting taken away from the school at some point and being secluded from society again with just his grandmother and the social worker lady doesn't even try to stop it. I thought that was the point of her character with her understanding his whole background.
If you are thinking wow this cult thing sounds interesting and are going to read this well stop right there because it's only like 5% of the story is mostly just the idiots and the bullying stuff the other 95% of the way. With the grandmother cult thing she literally just ended all the cult stuff at the end to make Cap happy and that was it.
This book is boring too. I skimmed like half of it. I got the whole gist of it though. Bullying, stupid people, assholes, being weird and nice is great but it comes from being forcefully secluded from society your whole life.
Literally the stupidest douchiest characters I've ever read. All these people deserve to die. I remembered this book from my middle school library and I wanted to remember what the plot was. The story is depressing and stupid at the same time. I feel so horrible after reading this. It's so repulsive.
So the theme is that this kid Cap has been raised alone by his grandma for 13 years in this cult-like society secluded from civilization. Well it's not really a cult anymore because it's just Cap and his grandma living as mentioned in the story "in the 60s".
So stuff happens and Cap goes to middle school and enter society for the first time. So almost every character is an idiot, a stereotype, and an asshole all at the same time. In addition the story isn't even enjoyable because Cap continuously gets bullied throughout the whole story so it's depressing as hell.
Cap isn't effected by the bullying by the way because of how he's raised. That's where I think the message of this story is horrible too. So while Cap goes to school he's living with this social worker lady who grew up in Cap's grandma's cult as a child. She mentioned that she had a hard time adjusting after getting out. So she definitely knows Cap's situation is horrible.
It's strange because this story is mostly about how weird Cap is from his grandma's values and lifestyle, but these values are also why he is an amazing, nice person? Another thing is that Cap is getting taken away from the school at some point and being secluded from society again with just his grandmother and the social worker lady doesn't even try to stop it. I thought that was the point of her character with her understanding his whole background.
If you are thinking wow this cult thing sounds interesting and are going to read this well stop right there because it's only like 5% of the story is mostly just the idiots and the bullying stuff the other 95% of the way. With the grandmother cult thing she literally just ended all the cult stuff at the end to make Cap happy and that was it.
This book is boring too. I skimmed like half of it. I got the whole gist of it though. Bullying, stupid people, assholes, being weird and nice is great but it comes from being forcefully secluded from society your whole life.
February 20, 2013
I truly enjoy reading Korman's books, especially titles such as: "No More Dead Dogs," "Swindle," "Son of the Mob," and "Born to Rock." "Schooled" was just as excellent and definitely fit the bill of a 5-star Gordon Korman book!
"Schooled" introduces readers to an extremely sheltered 13-year-old boy, Cap. When the story begins, Cap and his grandmother, Rain, live on an isolated farm commune where they live an alternate lifestyle. Cap is not sent to school, he does not watch TV, and he definitely does not speak on the phone...as they do not have a phone. After Rain falls from a tree while picking plums, she is placed into the hospital and Cap is sent to live with a social worker from the nearby school. Cap's world is suddenly flipped upside down! As Cap has lived a sheltered life (and wears hemp shoes to his first day of middle school), he is immediately the target of harassment at his new school. Unfortunately for Cap, this harassment is only perpetuated when he is elected class president of his new eighth-grade class--a standing tradition where the eighth-graders elect the weirdest and most nerdiest student to be president. However, to most everyone's surprise Cap brings the lessons and morals he has learned from the Garland Farm Commune to his new school and everyone has a new lesson to learn!
I would strongly recommend this book to several of my middle school readers. The use of multiple perspectives allows the reader to visualize the plot, and more specifically the conflict, from several different angles--even allowing readers to better understand unlikeable characters such as the football player. Each character adds a new depth and dimension to Cap's situation, thus allowing the reader to feel as if they are apart of Cap's middle school experience--as scary as that is! I think many of my middle school boys--especially those who looking for humor in their reads, would find this book a blast!
"Schooled" introduces readers to an extremely sheltered 13-year-old boy, Cap. When the story begins, Cap and his grandmother, Rain, live on an isolated farm commune where they live an alternate lifestyle. Cap is not sent to school, he does not watch TV, and he definitely does not speak on the phone...as they do not have a phone. After Rain falls from a tree while picking plums, she is placed into the hospital and Cap is sent to live with a social worker from the nearby school. Cap's world is suddenly flipped upside down! As Cap has lived a sheltered life (and wears hemp shoes to his first day of middle school), he is immediately the target of harassment at his new school. Unfortunately for Cap, this harassment is only perpetuated when he is elected class president of his new eighth-grade class--a standing tradition where the eighth-graders elect the weirdest and most nerdiest student to be president. However, to most everyone's surprise Cap brings the lessons and morals he has learned from the Garland Farm Commune to his new school and everyone has a new lesson to learn!
I would strongly recommend this book to several of my middle school readers. The use of multiple perspectives allows the reader to visualize the plot, and more specifically the conflict, from several different angles--even allowing readers to better understand unlikeable characters such as the football player. Each character adds a new depth and dimension to Cap's situation, thus allowing the reader to feel as if they are apart of Cap's middle school experience--as scary as that is! I think many of my middle school boys--especially those who looking for humor in their reads, would find this book a blast!
August 4, 2008
This is one of the more enjoyable books I've read in a while, and it's one I think Jr. High kids will love. I hope I can sell it to my secondary kids, becaues it's definitely worth reading and provides a great platform to discuss bullying, cruelty, cliques, and stereotyping. The only problem is that the narrative is centered on younger kids, so they may feel like it's too immature for them.
The only disturbing thing I found in the book was its heavy reliance on stereotypes: the cowardly nerd who kind of deserves what he gets, the cruel jocks, the wishy-washy socialites, the naieve hippy. Part of the fun, though, is the way Korman plays with those stereotypes. I will say that I got a little choked up at the end, but I don't want to spoil it by discussing it at length here.
The only disturbing thing I found in the book was its heavy reliance on stereotypes: the cowardly nerd who kind of deserves what he gets, the cruel jocks, the wishy-washy socialites, the naieve hippy. Part of the fun, though, is the way Korman plays with those stereotypes. I will say that I got a little choked up at the end, but I don't want to spoil it by discussing it at length here.
June 20, 2016
For some reason I suddenly remembered this book and how much I liked it back in middle school. So, here's a rating from 2009 Aila. :P
April 25, 2025
Entertaining, "fish out of water," YA novel
I checked out from Hoopla the audiobook version of this novel, which was produced by Recorded Books Repertory Company. There are eight viewpoint characters, and each chapter in their POV is narrated by a separate actor. This is a list of those eight characters:
Capricorn (Cap) Anderson
Flora Donnelly
Sophie Donnelly
Zach Powers
Naomi Erlanger
Hugh Winkleman
Darryl Pennyfield
Principal Kasigi
Cap is 13 years old. He was born in 1994, and this story is set in 2007, which is contemporaneous to the year this book was published. Cap lives on a farm called Garland. It used to be a hippie commune, which was founded by his grandmother in 1967. Up through the 1970s, there were multiple families with children living there, but by the end of that decade, most of them had moved away. Currently, Cap and his 67-year-old grandmother, Rain, are the only remaining residents of the former commune. Cap's parents joined the Peace Corps and died of malaria on their mission when he was very small. He has been raised ever since by Rain, who has homeschooled Cap. They have no TV, internet or phone, and their only entertainment is vinyl records with music from the 1960s, especially the Beatles. Rain taught Cap to drive a pickup truck when he was only eight and has also taught him to meditate, do tai chi, and play the guitar, as well as cook and clean and efficiently carry out all of the many laborious jobs required to keep a family farm going. As the story opens, Rain falls out of a tree while harvesting plums and breaks her hip. Since they have no phone, and he cannot call 911, Cap has no choice but to drive her to the hospital himself. She has to have surgery and faces eight weeks of in-residence physical rehabilitation. (Since this book is geared towards children, there is no mention of how a woman with no visible means of support, who has long rejected ordinary society, comes up with the money to pay for both hospital and rehab services, such as collecting Social Security and signing up for Medicare.)
Since Cap cannot go back to Garland and stay on his own, he is assigned to a social worker named Flora. By an amazing coincidence, Flora and her parents lived at Garland when she was a child. She was five when her family joined the commune in 1972, at the height of the hippie movement and student protests against the war in Vietnam. She lived with her parents at Garland for six years until she was 11, and she had an extremely difficult adjustment to ordinary society when they moved away from Garland. Because she can strongly relate to Cap's unique "fish out of water" situation, she decides to take him home with her rather than assigning him to some other foster family. She is a divorced mom with a 16-year-old daughter, Sophie, who treats Cap terribly, perpetually sneering at him and calling him names. In spite of her psychological training, Flora never enforces any disciplinary consequences for Sophie's bullying of Cap.
Cap begins attending a large middle school, for grades 6-8, which has 1100 students. Because his grandmother has been homeschooling Cap in a manner that satisfies the curriculum of the county in which they live, and Cap is very bright, he is assigned to the eighth grade, which is appropriate for his age. He is extremely strange looking compared to the other kids. He has never had a haircut in his life, and his hair hangs down past his waist. He wears tie-dyed t-shirts, cotton drawstring pants, and homemade sandals made from corn husks.
We are introduced to several popular eighth grade students who, like Sophie, are arrogant bullies, in particular, Zach and Naomi, and an unfortunate eighth grader named Hugh, whom Zach has bullied since kindergarten. It is clear that there are no policies in place in the school to protect students from bullying. And, in fact, consequence-free bullying is a major theme of this entire novel.
Hugh befriends Cap but doesn't warn him that, when he is nominated by the popular kids and elected president of the eighth-grade class, this is not an honor. For some years now, there has been a vicious tradition at this school that the popular kids select a hapless student, whom they have already been torturing for years, to become the president. Then they spend the entire school year heckling and humiliating that president, and the last few such individuals have had emotional breakdowns. Principal Kasigi has been well aware of this atrocity the entire time it has been going on, and he has never done anything to stop it. Hugh feels both guilty and vastly relieved that Cap has been pushed into the hot seat this year because, if not for that fortuitous intervention, the designated stooge in that position would have been himself.
This novel has been advertised as a comedy but, both as it is written on the page and performed by the narrators, it did not come off as at all humorous to me personally.
Virtually every YA novel published within the past 35 years, which is primarily set at a public school, makes it blatantly clear that the John Hughes teen movies of the 1980s have made an indelible imprint on the zeitgeist of this country. It is almost impossible to find a YA novel, especially one billed as a comedy such as this one, and which has been written after the 1980s, that does not heavily borrow from Hughes' tropes, most significantly, rampant bullying at public schools with no preventive intervention whatsoever from adult authorities.
In many ways, Cap is an almost christ-like figure in this story. He presents a saintly example of innocence, integrity, compassion, and generosity to the student populace that gradually turns the entire school away from xenophobically taunting him to outright worshiping him. His only flaw is his complete ignorance of important social rules, which Rain never taught him, such as how to handle money and the importance of not driving without a license. It is his angelic naivete that seamlessly rolls the entire story forward and triggers important ethical growth arcs in all of the viewpoint teenage characters in this story.
Because of Cap's age and the fairy-tale type progression of the plot of this G-rated novel, it will probably be most appreciated by preteens aged 10 to 12.
I checked out from Hoopla the audiobook version of this novel, which was produced by Recorded Books Repertory Company. There are eight viewpoint characters, and each chapter in their POV is narrated by a separate actor. This is a list of those eight characters:
Capricorn (Cap) Anderson
Flora Donnelly
Sophie Donnelly
Zach Powers
Naomi Erlanger
Hugh Winkleman
Darryl Pennyfield
Principal Kasigi
Cap is 13 years old. He was born in 1994, and this story is set in 2007, which is contemporaneous to the year this book was published. Cap lives on a farm called Garland. It used to be a hippie commune, which was founded by his grandmother in 1967. Up through the 1970s, there were multiple families with children living there, but by the end of that decade, most of them had moved away. Currently, Cap and his 67-year-old grandmother, Rain, are the only remaining residents of the former commune. Cap's parents joined the Peace Corps and died of malaria on their mission when he was very small. He has been raised ever since by Rain, who has homeschooled Cap. They have no TV, internet or phone, and their only entertainment is vinyl records with music from the 1960s, especially the Beatles. Rain taught Cap to drive a pickup truck when he was only eight and has also taught him to meditate, do tai chi, and play the guitar, as well as cook and clean and efficiently carry out all of the many laborious jobs required to keep a family farm going. As the story opens, Rain falls out of a tree while harvesting plums and breaks her hip. Since they have no phone, and he cannot call 911, Cap has no choice but to drive her to the hospital himself. She has to have surgery and faces eight weeks of in-residence physical rehabilitation. (Since this book is geared towards children, there is no mention of how a woman with no visible means of support, who has long rejected ordinary society, comes up with the money to pay for both hospital and rehab services, such as collecting Social Security and signing up for Medicare.)
Since Cap cannot go back to Garland and stay on his own, he is assigned to a social worker named Flora. By an amazing coincidence, Flora and her parents lived at Garland when she was a child. She was five when her family joined the commune in 1972, at the height of the hippie movement and student protests against the war in Vietnam. She lived with her parents at Garland for six years until she was 11, and she had an extremely difficult adjustment to ordinary society when they moved away from Garland. Because she can strongly relate to Cap's unique "fish out of water" situation, she decides to take him home with her rather than assigning him to some other foster family. She is a divorced mom with a 16-year-old daughter, Sophie, who treats Cap terribly, perpetually sneering at him and calling him names. In spite of her psychological training, Flora never enforces any disciplinary consequences for Sophie's bullying of Cap.
Cap begins attending a large middle school, for grades 6-8, which has 1100 students. Because his grandmother has been homeschooling Cap in a manner that satisfies the curriculum of the county in which they live, and Cap is very bright, he is assigned to the eighth grade, which is appropriate for his age. He is extremely strange looking compared to the other kids. He has never had a haircut in his life, and his hair hangs down past his waist. He wears tie-dyed t-shirts, cotton drawstring pants, and homemade sandals made from corn husks.
We are introduced to several popular eighth grade students who, like Sophie, are arrogant bullies, in particular, Zach and Naomi, and an unfortunate eighth grader named Hugh, whom Zach has bullied since kindergarten. It is clear that there are no policies in place in the school to protect students from bullying. And, in fact, consequence-free bullying is a major theme of this entire novel.
Hugh befriends Cap but doesn't warn him that, when he is nominated by the popular kids and elected president of the eighth-grade class, this is not an honor. For some years now, there has been a vicious tradition at this school that the popular kids select a hapless student, whom they have already been torturing for years, to become the president. Then they spend the entire school year heckling and humiliating that president, and the last few such individuals have had emotional breakdowns. Principal Kasigi has been well aware of this atrocity the entire time it has been going on, and he has never done anything to stop it. Hugh feels both guilty and vastly relieved that Cap has been pushed into the hot seat this year because, if not for that fortuitous intervention, the designated stooge in that position would have been himself.
This novel has been advertised as a comedy but, both as it is written on the page and performed by the narrators, it did not come off as at all humorous to me personally.
Virtually every YA novel published within the past 35 years, which is primarily set at a public school, makes it blatantly clear that the John Hughes teen movies of the 1980s have made an indelible imprint on the zeitgeist of this country. It is almost impossible to find a YA novel, especially one billed as a comedy such as this one, and which has been written after the 1980s, that does not heavily borrow from Hughes' tropes, most significantly, rampant bullying at public schools with no preventive intervention whatsoever from adult authorities.
In many ways, Cap is an almost christ-like figure in this story. He presents a saintly example of innocence, integrity, compassion, and generosity to the student populace that gradually turns the entire school away from xenophobically taunting him to outright worshiping him. His only flaw is his complete ignorance of important social rules, which Rain never taught him, such as how to handle money and the importance of not driving without a license. It is his angelic naivete that seamlessly rolls the entire story forward and triggers important ethical growth arcs in all of the viewpoint teenage characters in this story.
Because of Cap's age and the fairy-tale type progression of the plot of this G-rated novel, it will probably be most appreciated by preteens aged 10 to 12.
May 8, 2021
This is one of the funniest, most heartfelt books I have ever read, and I read it at age ten.
Schooled follows a boy named Cap who moves from his peaceful life as a hippie to public school.
I loved the life lessons presented here. This is a book about being yourself despite the thoughts of those around you. It’s a book about how many people will like you if you act like yourself, but not necessarilly all. It’s a book about the good in people.
The multiple points of view really helped this book. Cap’s sister is especially fun to read about; she’s a bit of a jerk, but she’s lovable in her own way.
Not only is this a heartwarming story, it’s also hilarious. It’s a situational comedy that really kept me laughing.
Absolutely recommended for preteens, but I’m sure pretty much everyone could enjoy this. It’s just a lot of fun.
Schooled follows a boy named Cap who moves from his peaceful life as a hippie to public school.
I loved the life lessons presented here. This is a book about being yourself despite the thoughts of those around you. It’s a book about how many people will like you if you act like yourself, but not necessarilly all. It’s a book about the good in people.
The multiple points of view really helped this book. Cap’s sister is especially fun to read about; she’s a bit of a jerk, but she’s lovable in her own way.
Not only is this a heartwarming story, it’s also hilarious. It’s a situational comedy that really kept me laughing.
“Come on, who saw what happened?"
"I did," I volenteered.
"Well?"
"Buttwipe wanted to know what jerkface was looking at." I turned turned eyes on the bloody and dirt-smeared brawlers. "You were barely 3-inches apart. Couldn't you see that you were both looking at each other?"
The teacher's face reddened. "Who do you think you are? Jerry Seinfeld?"
"You must be confused with another student," I told him. "My name is Capricorn Anderson.”
Absolutely recommended for preteens, but I’m sure pretty much everyone could enjoy this. It’s just a lot of fun.
October 23, 2013
No matter where your from,or who you are,always stay true to yourself. People will like you for who you are on the inside. Schooled is a book about a teenage boy named Capricorn Anderson who doesn't know very much about the outside world. He lives with his grandmother hundreds of miles away from the nearest city! But when his granny has a little mishap and he has to live in the city and go to a local public school,he is gonna have to face the real world and the new things from it. How will he last? You have to read the book to find out.
I liked this book because I like how one person who didn't know anything about the outside world,made a difference in the school. To me he seemed like a undercover hero,someone who is doing the right thing without knowing it. I would recommend this book for any age because it can all teach us a lesson to be yourself. I can't wait until the next part of the series!!
I liked this book because I like how one person who didn't know anything about the outside world,made a difference in the school. To me he seemed like a undercover hero,someone who is doing the right thing without knowing it. I would recommend this book for any age because it can all teach us a lesson to be yourself. I can't wait until the next part of the series!!
October 20, 2011
Schooled
Schooled is a very good book for people that just transferred a new school because of any reason. But just to have a heads up the book starts off with a different person every chapter so you get every ones perspective. This book is about a kid named Capricorn Anderson also known as cap. He lives with his grandma in community for hippies. One day his grandma falls out of a tree and brakes her back, so cap has to go and live with someone else and go to school until his grandma gets well. He goes to live with a family the Donnelly's, Ms. Donnelly and Sophie. The bookend up with him going to school and being bullied by Sophie and many other people. Then cap was elected school president just so people could make fun of him. Then the book comes out that cap ends up popular and everyone starts to like him and his ways.
Schooled is a very good book for people that just transferred a new school because of any reason. But just to have a heads up the book starts off with a different person every chapter so you get every ones perspective. This book is about a kid named Capricorn Anderson also known as cap. He lives with his grandma in community for hippies. One day his grandma falls out of a tree and brakes her back, so cap has to go and live with someone else and go to school until his grandma gets well. He goes to live with a family the Donnelly's, Ms. Donnelly and Sophie. The bookend up with him going to school and being bullied by Sophie and many other people. Then cap was elected school president just so people could make fun of him. Then the book comes out that cap ends up popular and everyone starts to like him and his ways.
May 6, 2014
I love this book! it is an awesome book about a hippie named Capricorn(or Cap) who is homeschooled by his grandma, Rain.It has self love, respect for self and other, family values, thinking of others, looking deeper than the surface, and never giving up.I had never read any of Gordon Korman's books until now, and I look forward to some more excellent and creative works that reflect how people effect each other. This book will appeal to both boys and girls, I think.Great book!
September 24, 2011
This was an amazing book about a kid who was stuck in the 80's and comes to reality when he leaves Garland farm and goes to middle school.
January 23, 2020
A little implausible, a little earnest... but so much fun and so insightful (in a tween sort of way), too! Of course Zach actually should be named Donald. And Mr. Kasigi is a slow learner, and it's strange that none of the state-mandated home-school lessons gave Capricorn any clues about finance or school.
"When you're yelling at somebody, you're attacking yourself more than whoever it is you're yelling at."
I think maybe one of the reasons that I liked this is because Cap is kinda like an alien, and I like SF. "What if" somebody who didn't know our customs was just dropped into our school....
"When you're yelling at somebody, you're attacking yourself more than whoever it is you're yelling at."
I think maybe one of the reasons that I liked this is because Cap is kinda like an alien, and I like SF. "What if" somebody who didn't know our customs was just dropped into our school....
January 24, 2019
It is a great book it has different perspectives and it is kinda like wonder
August 19, 2022
অসাধারণ সুন্দর একটা গল্পের নিমিষে মন ভাল করে দেয়া একটা কিশোরোপন্যাস। যুগের চেয়ে চল্লিশ বছর পিছিয়ে থেকে সমাজ থেকে সম্পূর্ণ বিচ্ছিন্ন অবস্থায় ষাটের দশকের হিপ্পি সংস্কৃতিতে কোনপ্রকার টেকনোলজি ও মানবসংস্পর্শবিহীনভাবে দাদি রেইনের কাছে বড় হওয়া (জন্মের পর থেকে যে এই একটামাত্র মানুষকেই চিনে জেনে এসেছে) তেরো বছরের ক্যাপ্রিকর্ন অ্যান্ডারসনের হঠাৎ ঘটনাচক্রে একধাক্কায় প্রায় ভিন্ন গ্যালাক্সির এলিয়েনের মতোই ২০০৭-এর অত্যাধুনিক সমাজ-পরিবেশ-রীতিনীতি-মানুষজনের মাঝে এসে পড়া ও তাতে ধীরে ধীরে নিজেকে মানিয়ে নেয়ার চেষ্টা; আর আশেপাশের "অতিচালাক" ও "স্মার্ট" মানুষদের তাদের মাঝে আসা এই আপাত-কিম্ভুতহাস্যকর সহজসরল কিশোরটির ভেতরের ইস্পাত দৃঢ় অদম্য মনোবলের প্রকৃত মনুষ্যত্বের নিখাঁদ মানসিকতাকে একটু একটু করে উপলব্ধি করে-শ্রদ্ধা জাগিয়ে ভয়ানক অপছন্দতা-গণবিদ্বেষকে প্রবল পছন্দনীয়তা-জনপ্রিয়তায় আমূল পরিবর্তিত হওয়া... আন্ডারস্ট্যান্ডিং, এক্সেপ্টেন্স, এম্প্যাথি, ফ্রেন্ডশিপ।
চুম্বকের মতো প্রতিটা পৃষ্ঠায় আটকে রেখে শেষ শব্দটা অবধি মন্ত্রমুগ্ধের মতো পড়ে যাওয়া। শেষ করার পরেও জেনুইনলি একটা অতৃপ্তি মনে থেকে যাওয়া - পরবর্তী অপার সব সম্ভাবনা কেবল কল্পনার চোখে দেখেই যে মন ভরে না, বইটা ক্যান আরেকটু বড় হলো না! সিম্পলি মাইন্ডব্লোয়িং ব্রিলিয়ান্ট, মিঃ করম্যান, মাই হ্যাটস অফ টু ইউ স্যার।
নিঃসন্দেহে ৫ এ ৫।
চুম্বকের মতো প্রতিটা পৃষ্ঠায় আটকে রেখে শেষ শব্দটা অবধি মন্ত্রমুগ্ধের মতো পড়ে যাওয়া। শেষ করার পরেও জেনুইনলি একটা অতৃপ্তি মনে থেকে যাওয়া - পরবর্তী অপার সব সম্ভাবনা কেবল কল্পনার চোখে দেখেই যে মন ভরে না, বইটা ক্যান আরেকটু বড় হলো না! সিম্পলি মাইন্ডব্লোয়িং ব্রিলিয়ান্ট, মিঃ করম্যান, মাই হ্যাটস অফ টু ইউ স্যার।
নিঃসন্দেহে ৫ এ ৫।
May 18, 2023
Such a sweet story. It left me thinking about a lot. Nobody realizes how much we take for granted until you see how much other people don’t have. In Trojan Time this week we are talking about empathy. Understanding how other people are feeling, or in other words, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. It think Schooled really shows that.
The ending. Oh. My. Gosh. SO SWEET! I will remember that forever, because it could mean so many things, not just what it is meaning in the book. It can be implied to someone else, mean a completely different thing to them, but give them strength. Right now I needed to hear that, and I am implying it in a way that was not meant for Cap, but for me.
I think in many ways that people can use this book as a method of therapy. I can’t really explain what I mean that well, but it could be a way of coping for them, and they can insert themselves into the story.
Talking points for book club:
Pg. 165 “upside down in a fish tank” yes.
Ending
Sophie is a sweetheart
Rant about how sweet it is
Rant about how I can’t rant
Love this book ❤️
The ending. Oh. My. Gosh. SO SWEET! I will remember that forever, because it could mean so many things, not just what it is meaning in the book. It can be implied to someone else, mean a completely different thing to them, but give them strength. Right now I needed to hear that, and I am implying it in a way that was not meant for Cap, but for me.
I think in many ways that people can use this book as a method of therapy. I can’t really explain what I mean that well, but it could be a way of coping for them, and they can insert themselves into the story.
Talking points for book club:
Pg. 165 “upside down in a fish tank” yes.
Ending
Sophie is a sweetheart
Rant about how sweet it is
Rant about how I can’t rant
Love this book ❤️
March 25, 2009
Gordan Korman has brilliantly brought to life an unlikely hero in this book about a young man who enters school for the first time in his life. He has been raised by his grandmother, a leftover hippi with definite ideas about right and wrong, and homeschooled on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. He brings the story to life by engaging opposites characters to throw life into a pendulum of good/bad outcomes. I thought the story was charming, touching and thought-provoking. He is a "stargi...more Gordan Korman has brilliantly brought to life an unlikely hero in this book about a young man who enters school for the first time in his life. He has been raised by his grandmother, a leftover hippi with definite ideas about right and wrong, and homeschooled on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. He brings the story to life by engaging opposites characters to throw life into a pendulum of good/bad outcomes. I thought the story was charming, touching and thought-provoking. He is a "stargirl" of the male gender!
March 24, 2008
Capricorn has had a sheltered childhood growing up on an isolated old farm commune with his hippie grandmother. When she is injured and cannot care for him for two months he is forced to enter the real world and attend middle school in town. At first all the kids treat "Cap" terribly because he is so different. He is easily confused by the strange, foreign environment of middle school! His innocent, kind and peace-loving nature help him to acclimate and eventually even win the kids over. It was interesting to follow the story from the different points of view of various people telling the story: Cap; the social worker he lives with temporarily; her pretty high-school aged daughter who at first hates Cap; the most popular jock at school; the most unpopular nerd; a popular girl; and the principal. I really enjoyed the different personalities and how they grew, particularly Cap. A fun book!
January 2, 2019
I enjoyed this full-cast audiobook reading, after having read the print edition about a year ago.
Capricorn Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain, who seems to still be living back in the '60s, on a commune whose population has dwindled down to just the two of them. When Rain is injured, Cap must attend a public middle school, but he is not remotely prepared for life in the 21st century, as he has never seen a TV or a cell phone. In fact, there is no telephone at all on the commune. And he has never handled money.
Cap is definitely a fish out of water in a hostile environment at first, but eventually the other kids come to appreciate his Zen-like calm, honesty, and refreshing outlook. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just say I found it totally satisfying.
Capricorn Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain, who seems to still be living back in the '60s, on a commune whose population has dwindled down to just the two of them. When Rain is injured, Cap must attend a public middle school, but he is not remotely prepared for life in the 21st century, as he has never seen a TV or a cell phone. In fact, there is no telephone at all on the commune. And he has never handled money.
Cap is definitely a fish out of water in a hostile environment at first, but eventually the other kids come to appreciate his Zen-like calm, honesty, and refreshing outlook. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just say I found it totally satisfying.
Read
May 3, 2011This has been one interesting book to read. Its very unique. I love how each chapter someone speaks whats on their mind, not just one person saying the whole book. Although it kept me confused at times but overall it was a pretty good book. Capri Anderson has been homeschooled ever since he was 13 until his grandma Rain falls out the tree. He is currently staying with Mrs. Donelly and her daughter Sophie. He has never been to a public school so it might be a little awkward for him. Now he has entered the school of Claverage Middle school with him not knowing anyone at all. Strange things seem to hit him a couple times. Kids seem to pick on him and make him the target of everything. But once it comes to the Halloween dance. Students quit joking on him.
December 2, 2017
Capricorn Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain, who seems to still be living back in the '60s, on a commune whose population has dwindled down to just the two of them. When Rain is injured, Cap must attend a public middle school, but he is not remotely prepared for life in the 21st century, as he has never seen a TV or a cell phone. In fact, there is no telephone at all on the commune. And he has never handled money.
Cap is definitely a fish out of water in a hostile environment at first, but eventually the other kids come to appreciate his Zenlike calm, honesty, and refreshing outlook. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just say I found it totally satisfying.
Cap is definitely a fish out of water in a hostile environment at first, but eventually the other kids come to appreciate his Zenlike calm, honesty, and refreshing outlook. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just say I found it totally satisfying.
May 3, 2018
Read this with the 6th grade book group. I really enjoyed it and instead of breaking it up into 4 separate weeks to discuss just read in the first sitting. Shhh!!!
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