Schooled by Gordon Korman is an amazing story about change. In the story, the main character, Capricorn Anderson, experiences a lot of change when his grandmother experiences an injury and he is forced out of his hippie community. At Claverage Middle School, he ends up meeting Zach Powers, the big man on campus, who wishes to introduce him to a tradition: pick the biggest nerd in 8th grade and make him become president. Will Cap be the biggest joke at Claverage or the greatest president ever? Gordon Korman uses multiple viewpoints of the same story to his advantage as he makes an amazing book
Capricorn Anderson was arrested. He was arrested for driving underage. Cap was trying to get his mother to the hospital after she took a nasty fall from a plum tree. The policeman let them go to the hospital. When Capricorn was allowed to see her he learned that his grandmother, Rain, had to do 8 weeks of rehab and Cap would go to Claverage Middle School. The first challenge he had to face was the housing. A guidance counselor offered to take him home but, she had a 16-year-old daughter who was not pleased with the decision. Zach Powers was the big man on campus and had a mission: find the biggest nerd and make him the 8th grade president. He already was set on someone Hugh Winkleman, captain of the chess team and major dweeb. Zach then met Capricorn Anderson who didn’t even know what a locker was. Cap was horrified. At school 2 kids broke out into a fight after exchanging insults. When a teacher asks him what happened he accidentally answered with a smart mouth. After a conversation with Rain he realizes that information is different than experience.
Hugh Winkleman was the biggest nerd at Claverage Middle School until Cap showed up. Hugh decided that Cap needed all the friends he could get. Pretty Soon, Hugh realized that he was anonymous and now Cap was being messed with more. Hugh felt bad but he also thought better him than me. Naomi Erlanger had a crush on Zach powers. together, they Got Cap elected as 8th grade president. When Cap was elected all he said was “I shouldn’t be President. I don’t know anyone’s name.” Naomi and Zach told Cap that he had to learn 1100 names or everyone in the school. They pranked Cap in plenty other ways too.
Mrs. Donnelly is Cap’s case worker. So she learned that Cap was doing fine academically but, horrible socially, he could have easily been born on another planet. Sophie Donnelly is getting mad. The freakazoid, or Cap, is the worst thing that happened to her. But, with no other way to get driving lessons she drives with Cap in the passenger seat. She ends up finding some respect for Cap.
Naomi knew that Zach was mad about Cap. She watched as Zach declared open season on the 8th grade president and Cap floated through it without even noticing he was being pranked. Sophie’s dad comes home and gives her some driving lessons. He also showed her a present he was about to have engraved. Capricorn was riding home on the bus when the bus driver had a heart attack and Cap drove the school bus to the hospital. Now he had a lot more personality, Zach started having press conferences and people asked him about the bus.
During these conferences, he learned that he was supposed to plan a dance. He gave everybody small jobs and used ideas like he used in the community to plan it. Cap learned that Mr. Donnelly came and left at the drop of the bell. So he learned that Mr. Donnelly left and didn’t even give his present. He then met up with Mr. Kaisigi the principal and got a budget of $4,000 for the dance. While he was walking home he saw the bangle that Sophie almost got. He bought it, had it engraved and shipped it to Sophie. BY now Cap had something like followers. He had Tai Chi classes in the yard, he strummed Beatles songs. He even had a tie-dye convention. The thing that made the biggest difference in Cap’s popularity was the checks, Cap was giving out checks to charities people stood up for.
By now, both Hugh Winkleman and Zach Powers are getting spiteful of Cap. While Cap was basking in glory, Hugh was the biggest dweeb again. Suddenly Naomi burst into the room and gave Cap a long kiss then ran away. Zach told Hugh to put Cap in the school’s rival’s jersey so that every single person on the football team tackled him. He had to go to the nurse. By then Darryl Pennyfield, one of Zach’s friends, realized that Zach was behind this and got in a fight with him. Darryl accidentally punched Cap and he saw Cap being escorted in an ambulance. Cap looked inside the ambulance and saw Rain. She told him that her 8 weeks of rehab were up and they could go home now. Sophie passed her driving test and while doing so she learned that Cap had gotten her the bangle. When Mr. Kaisigi came home he learned that Cap had emptied the fund and gave it to charity. He knew that there couldn’t be a dance. It was his fault for not properly explaining what a check was and allowing Cap to give however much he wants to whoever he wants. Zach and Hugh hatched another plan together. Since everyone thought Cap was hurt they decided to hold a memorial service for him. At Garland, the community, Cap didn’t feel at home. He still felt needed at Claverage. Since he couldn’t get permission he decided that he would walk to the gas station and hail a taxi. He saw Sophie and she gave him a ride to the dance. When he got back and saw the mourning ceremony. He got up stage and said “Goodbye Sam, Goodbye Trudy, Goodbye Darryl…” until he said goodbye to everyone. He had done it he had memorized an entire school. When he went back to Garland he was sad and alone. Rain saw this and sold the community so they could get a condo and live a regular life. Capricorn could think of 1100 kids who would be happy to see him.
This book is a really good story for all kids in Middle School. It uses good techniques but, does not have the best plot. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.