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Schooled

by Gordon Korman

3.84 · rating details · 5,759 ratings · 1,207 reviews

Capricorn Anderson had never watched a television show before. He'd never tasted a pizza. He had never even heard of a wedgie. And he had never, in his wildest dreams, thought of living anywhere but Garland Farm commune with his hippie caretaker, Rain.
Capricorn (Cap for short) had lived every day of his life on Garland Farm growing fruits and vegetables. He was homes...more

Paperback, 208 pages

Published August 26th 2008 by Hyperion Books for Children (first published February 29th 2000)

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Community Reviews

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Apr 10, 2008

tami rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: parents, teens

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...

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Mar 25, 2009

Domi103 rated it

· review of another edition

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...m...more

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Oct 20, 2011

Luke c rated it

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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 grandm...more

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May 03, 2011

Shannah Abringe added it · review of another edition

This 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 en...more

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Jan 14, 2009

Vanessa rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 23, 2010

Molly rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya, children-s-lit, 6th-7th-8th-fic, yhba-middle-grades-2011-2012

Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has been living an idyllic life alone with his grandmother at Garland Farms. Garland used to be a commune, but over the years everyone but Cap and Rain (his grandmother) have moved away. Consequently, Cap knows little to nothing about the 'real' world. He doesn't get money, he's confused by clothing trends, and people his own age (13) baffle him. So, when Rain is hospitalized with a broken hip, Cap is rocketed forward a few decades, and must attend the local public Middl...more

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Mar 23, 2008

Michelle rated it

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Recommends it for: ages ten and up

Shelves: 2008, kids-lit, young-adult, male-characters, realistic

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 ov...more

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Aug 04, 2008

Boyd rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: youngadulthighinterest

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 cowar...more

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Jan 07, 2009

Julie rated it

· review of another edition

I liked this book because it was a quick read. I also liked that each chapter came from another character's perspective. That style brought all of the characters, good and bad, into the reader's sympathy and perspective.

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Sep 24, 2011

Kaylin rated it

· review of another edition

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.

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Feb 02, 2010

Anika Vandenberghe marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I really HATED this book so HIPPI
(noticed I "finished" this book on April fools)

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Oct 21, 2009

Prairie Star rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: william-allan-white-2009-2010, star-reader-contest-2009-2010

Capricorn “Cap” Anderson is a one of a kind, not to be believed kind of kid who has lived his life in large part in complete isolation with his hippie grandmother Rain on the grounds of a once thriving commune. Cap and Rain are now the solitary members of the former commune. San has never had pizza, never played video games, never watched television, never even used money. He is quite content with his life on the commune but when his grandmother breaks her hip, his life is thrown into tumult....more

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Jan 20, 2012

Kathryn rated it

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Recommended to Kathryn by: Tyler

Shelves: middle-grade

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...more4.5 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. (less)

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Dec 17, 2011

Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, ah-may-zing, middle-grades, srsly-realistic

Summary

Cap has a pretty mellow existence. He lives on an old commune, Garland Farms, with his grandmother, Rain. Rain is everything to Cap - his family, his teacher, his best and only friend. But soon, all of that changes when Rain has an accident and must spend some time in a rehabilitative home. Cap must learn to survive in the "real" world, and even scarier, a middle school.

Claverage Middle School is just like any other great American school. You've got the popul...moreSummary

Cap has a pretty mellow existence. He lives on an old commune, Garland Farms, with his grandmother, Rain. Rain is everything to Cap - his family, his teacher, his best and only friend. But soon, all of that changes when Rain has an accident and must spend some time in a rehabilitative home. Cap must learn to survive in the "real" world, and even scarier, a middle school.

Claverage Middle School is just like any other great American school. You've got the popular kids and the geeks. Enters Cap and now you've got the freak. Cap grew up with the peace-love-happiness tenets of the sixties, a time period that Rain had a strong affinity for. In fact, Cap's first experience with television, junk food, and physical fights occurs only after he's left Garland Farms.

Soon Cap is the target of all the abuse that middle school students can dish out - he even gets elected President, the legacy for the biggest loser at the school. How does Cap handle to these situations? By being himself, even if that means doing tai chi on the school lawn or meditating in front of his locker.

My Thoughts

Seriously. If you are a YA fan at all, turn the computer off (or log into your favorite online bookstore) and purchase this book.

It was fantabulous. Cap is one of the most endearing characters I have ever experienced. From the first couple of pages, I was hooked into his world - rooting for him when he was the underdog and didn't even know it. I laughed out loud over his oblivious mistakes, and his major ones, well, I was shouting inside my head, "No Cap, I know you mean well, but you just can't behave like that in the real world!!".

On a YA website someone awarded it the best book for illustrating middle school politics; I have to agree. It wasn't over the top or preachy, but yet you still got it, y'know?

And it was hilarious. Almost snort-worthy hilarity ensued. Here's this strange little scrawny kid who has long hippie hair and innocuously starts a tie-dyed tee shirt movement at the middle school. Are you kidding me? What's not to love about Cap?!?

Really. Rush out now. Get this book! And then let me know what you think!(less)

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Nov 18, 2011

Cinnapatty rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-12-icca

This was a really good book. It was funny and heart-warming at once. It is about 8th graders. The perfect book for middle schoolers. Freshman might even enjoy reading it. Heck, I'm an adult and I enjoyed reading it :) It's about "Cap" (Capricorn) who was born raised on a hippie farm. Circumstances are such that he ends up having to attend a public school for awhile. Eighth grade no less! His experiences are telling of the personalities of 8th graders and the seemingly complex ...more

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Nov 10, 2011

Grace T rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-rock

Cappricorn(Cap)Anderson has always been home schooled by his hippie grandmother.But when she suddenly falls from a tree,Cap is forced to move in with the school councilor and her grumpy teenage daughter. his long blond hair is a perfect target for spit balls and lit matches. But when Cap's driving skills save the bus driver, he turns into a student role model. Too bad the master mind behind Cap's public humiliation, is now hated by his classmates. When fowl play is involved, will Cap surviv...more

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Nov 02, 2011

Cher rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-realistic-fiction, children-s, yal

This book has dug a very special place in my heart. It is a super fast read, I was able to read it in the matter of hours while at work. Its about a 13 year old boy, aptly named Capricorn Anderson (Cap for short), who lives with his Grandmother on the hippie commune she helped found in the 60s (they are now the only two remaining residents on the commune). Cap is hopelessly isolated on this compound where he and his grandmother run an entire farm by themselves and she of course home schools him ...moreThis book has dug a very special place in my heart. It is a super fast read, I was able to read it in the matter of hours while at work. Its about a 13 year old boy, aptly named Capricorn Anderson (Cap for short), who lives with his Grandmother on the hippie commune she helped found in the 60s (they are now the only two remaining residents on the commune). Cap is hopelessly isolated on this compound where he and his grandmother run an entire farm by themselves and she of course home schools him in her own fashion. Cap is blissfully ignorant of the outside contemporary world until his grandmother breaks her hip and is unable to care for him for 6 weeks. He enters foster care in the nearby suburban town and encounters the "real world" and worse, public middle school for the first time.

The beauty of this book is that its written in multiple point of views ranging from Cap, the school bully/Mr. Popular, the "Cool Girl's Best Friend," the school nerd, the foster mom, and the foster sister. I was worried when I first saw this trend of jumping perspective every couple of pages just because it is so hard to execute well when the tendency is to back track and retell plot points from all POVs. But Korman succeeds in seamlessly switching with minimal repetitions and continually moving the plot along.

Cap is a great main character in that he uses the best of his Grandmother's teachings to become a positive force for change at a school that is stereotypically depicted with popular bullies reigning in terror. Cap also is able to adequately describe middle school life in almost an anthropologic way and defusing situations by genuine ignorance. But ignorance is not what his peers perceive, they see someone who allows insults and pranks to roll of his back, they see a kid quietly persevere and eventually Cap gains a following (really the entire middle school) teaching tai chi on the front lawn, providing Buddhist philosophy instead of insults, and promoting meditation to work out the every day stresses.

I would definitely want to teach this with a middle school classroom, probably best suited for 7th and 8th graders, but I think anyone could benefit from reading about such a refreshing young character.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011

Kay Mcgriff rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-hoosier-11-12

I can’t wait to share Schooled (Scholastic 2007) when I get back to school later this month. Gordon Korman takes on bullies, hippies, and irresponsible parents in a story that had me laughing all the way through. The shifting points of view–six major characters and a couple of minor ones share their perspective on the events–have distinctive voices. Here are the main players:
■Capricorn Anderson has never seen a television, talked on a cell phone or played a video game. He has lived his...moreI can’t wait to share Schooled (Scholastic 2007) when I get back to school later this month. Gordon Korman takes on bullies, hippies, and irresponsible parents in a story that had me laughing all the way through. The shifting points of view–six major characters and a couple of minor ones share their perspective on the events–have distinctive voices. Here are the main players:
■Capricorn Anderson has never seen a television, talked on a cell phone or played a video game. He has lived his entire life with Rain, his grandmother, on a hippie commune called Garland Farm. When Rain falls out of a tree and breaks her hip, he is thrown into the vicious social jungle known as middle school. Not knowing any better, he takes on every challenge thrown at him with seriousness, down to learning the names of all 1100 students at school.
■Mrs. Donnelly has a secret–she lived for six years at Garland Farm as a child. She still remembers the shock of entering the real world and takes Cap into her home.
■Sophie Donnelly is sixteen and outraged that her mother would bring home a tie-dyed hippie freak to live with them. It is bound to ruin her social life even more than the broken promises from her absent father.
■Zach Powers is the rightful lord and king of C Average Middle School as he enters his eighth grade year. Captain of both the football and soccer teams, he leads his friends in the tradition of selecting the biggest loser for the job of eighth grade president. He is furious when his plan to nominate and humilate Cap backfires.
■Hugh Winkleman is more thankful than anyone that Cap showed up before the election. If not for Cap, he would be the 8th grade president for sure. Now that Cap is in the spotlight, Hugh can enjoy school without the treath of spitballs and wedgies.
■Naomi Erlanger has a crush on Zach, and is more than willing to contribute to Cap’s humiliation. But as Cap remains undisturbed–and clueless–to their bullying, she can’t help but be drawn to his innocence and naivete. Which boy will win her heart in the end?

That’s just the beginning of this incredible story. Throw in a hijacked school bus, bounced checks, and a couple of funerals to round out the story. Don’t forget the tie-dye lessons in the art room or the sing-alongs in the music wing. Fans of Korman’s No More Dead Dogs will definitely enjoy this visit to middle school just as much. Just to make you want more, Here are the opening lines from Capricorn Anderson:

I was thirteen the first time I saw a police officer up close. He was arresting me for driving without a license. At the time, I didnt’ even know what a license was. I wasn’t too clear on what being arrested meant either.

I can guarantee you that no one at C Average Middle School will ever be the same.

Also published on my blog at http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2011/08/0...(less)

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Jun 30, 2011

Dina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An interesting exploration of the caste system in American public schools. I really liked how each chapter presented the events from the viewpoint of the various characters. The humor in the book was great; there were some really funny lines. For example, when Hugh Winklemann was talking about needing wedgie insurance, and one of the cool kids was "Allstate."

Reading about Cap's adjustment to life outside of Garland Farm shows us how dependent our existence has become on te...more

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Apr 16, 2011

Pandora rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children-s

Liking this book I think depends on which Cinderella you like: The French one in which Cinderella forgives her stepsisters or the German one in which the stepsister's eyes get pecked out. I perfered the German one. Not that I don't believe in forgiveness it just when the topic is bullying I don't want rose colored glasses. On bullying I'm looking more for revenge like the movie Sydney White.

For me that is the major problem with the book. Have survived bullying I perfered books t...moreLiking this book I think depends on which Cinderella you like: The French one in which Cinderella forgives her stepsisters or the German one in which the stepsister's eyes get pecked out. I perfered the German one. Not that I don't believe in forgiveness it just when the topic is bullying I don't want rose colored glasses. On bullying I'm looking more for revenge like the movie Sydney White.

For me that is the major problem with the book. Have survived bullying I perfered books that take a harder look at this subject like Blubber and Bystander. Instead this is one of those bullying novel in which everything ups okey and everyone learns to live in peace. Nice fantasy but, not the reality of many kids today. The hero never even recognizes that he is being bullied. Everything magicially changes because Cap the hero is so good.

Another problem for me is the book lacks a strong mentor to help this poor fish out of water. Not his social worker, vice principal, the teachers are invisible, and the kids are too busy making fun of Cap. For various reasons no one can be bothered to explain how the modern life works even the basics of checkbook. This misunderstanding is though essential for the plot to work. I also had trouble believing in a middle school that only elects a president. Even my small middle and high school managed a president, vice-president, treasury, and sectary.

You also have to wonder what kind of vice principal hands over blank signed checks to a clueless kid? Even worse after kids have to leave school after being harrassed as President he does nothing. Come on with parents ready to sue over everything and school scare to death of being the next Columbia what vice principal would ignore harassment? Especially since this is apprently a long standing tradition.

I do want to mention I pick this book up after reading The Book Thief so that could have an effect on my not liking this one.

Nice try but, for me it doesn't have a lot to offer on the topic of bullying. James Howe's book at least came up with a good button and slogan. Howe's book also offered insight of the long term effects of bullying. Though I connsider Howe's book lacking this one makes it look better.

(less)

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Feb 17, 2011

Brandy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, for-work, teen, library, bullies, realistic

Cap(ricorn) Anderson has been homeschooled his whole life--in fact, his whole life has been lived with only his grandmother, Rain, for company. So when Rain is hospitalized with a broken hip and Cap has to attend the local middle school for two months, it's a whole new world. Cap--with his long hair, hippie clothes, and peace & harmony ideals--is exactly what the 8th grade wanted: a new target to elect Class President, the dubious honor bestowed upon the least-popular classmate. While the stude...more

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Jan 06, 2011

David rated it

· review of another edition

This book would probably be classified more as a children’s book than psychedelic literature, but it deals with a young hippie named Cap, and what’s more psychedelic than hippies? Besides, I’ve been considering reviewing books outside of the psychedelic genre ever since I started this blog, and there’s nothing wrong with stretching my boundaries a little bit.

Cap is a young kid who was raised on a commune farm by his grandmother, Rain. She ends up in the hospital because of a hip injury...moreThis book would probably be classified more as a children’s book than psychedelic literature, but it deals with a young hippie named Cap, and what’s more psychedelic than hippies? Besides, I’ve been considering reviewing books outside of the psychedelic genre ever since I started this blog, and there’s nothing wrong with stretching my boundaries a little bit.

Cap is a young kid who was raised on a commune farm by his grandmother, Rain. She ends up in the hospital because of a hip injury; Cap is sent to public school for the first time in his life. He hasn’t known anyone in his life except for his grandmother, so learning how to cope with the hormone-infused children in his new public school is quite a challenge.

Cap is placed under the care of a child services guidance counselor who used to live on Garland Farm, the commune that Rain and Cap live on. He doesn’t fit in at Claverage Middle School (dubbed C Average by the students), because he is different from the other students. Cap practices Tai Chi on the lawn, meditates in front of his locker, and is a strict Vegetarian Buddhist. Cap does make one friend, Hugh, who is the biggest loser in school. Hugh is glad because Cap is so much stranger than he that Hugh becomes invisible to the other students, which is better than getting wedgies or swirlies in the bathroom.

Cap is elected Eighth Grade student body president, because that position is reserved for the biggest nerd in school. However, Cap takes it all in stride, and begins to learn the names of the students and makes a large impact on everyone at the school.

The book was another really quick read, and a feel-good story. It reminded me of Stephen Chbosky’s Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is another great middle school story. Korman’s writing isn’t as strong as most of the books I have been reading lately, although I realize that the lack of complexity is due to it being a children’s book. The end of Schooled put a wide smile on my face, and I would recommend it to you if you need a pick-me-up.

3/5 Stars. 224 pages. Published 2007.(less)

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Nov 18, 2010

Q_Donna rated it

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Shelves: middle-school, rll595-award-winning-literature

Capricorn Anderson has spent his entire life on the compound with his grandmother Rain. He has lived a life free of stress, people and has learned to make due with the bare minimals. Imagine a 13 year old who has never watched television, doesn't own a cell phone and has never attended a public school. That's Capricorn. One day his grandmother, Rain falls out of a tree and is hospitalized. Capricorn is taken to live with the Donnelly family. Mrs. Donnelly is a guidance counselor who just ...more

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Nov 10, 2010

Emanuel Najera rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Schooled is a book about a 13 year old boy named Capricorn Anderson who lives with his grandmother named Rain. His grandmother got injured by falling off a tree trying to pick plums and broke her hip. So now she has to stay at a hospital and there is no one to take care of Capricorn so he has to move in with a lady named Mrs. Donnelly. Capricorn has never been to a public school so he doesn’t know how school works. He was always home schooled by his grandmother Rain. He attends a school nam...more

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Nov 09, 2010

Michele rated it

· review of another edition

Interest level: 5th +
Reading level: medium
Genre: realistic fiction, humor, homeschool, bullies

Author Gordon Korman (author of "Son of the Mob", "Born to Rock", "No More Dead Dogs" - all worth reading) has come up with yet another humorous story.

The main character in "Schooled" is Capricorn Anderson, an 8th grader who has been homeschooled all his life by his eccentric but smart hippy grandmother, Rain, on some ex-commune...more

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Nov 04, 2010

Richardhd96 rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Capricorn Anderson lives in a place called Garland Farm, which is an alternative farm commune. He lived with his Grandma Rain and she home schooled Cap. The community use to have more families, but now it was just the two of them. It was old fashioned and seemed to be frozen in the 60s. One day his Grandma was picking plums and fell out of a tree and broke her hip. While his grandma Rain was healing he had to live with an old commune resident, Ms. Donnelly and her daughter Sophia. Everyone made...more

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Oct 02, 2010

Pam rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, fiction

Fabulous read that will appeal to all 9-13 year olds. Truly it was a funny, entertaining book that had enough substance and depth, and is exactly the type of book that would appeal to opaque middle-schoolers. Kids at that age really appreciate and understand subtlety with humor. Korman gets that kids can handle complex plot and character development without having to invoke death, disease, or pestilence to make it happen.

In this story homeschooled Cap(short for Capricorn) finds ...more

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Jun 14, 2010

Sydney →☺ rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: good-discussion-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Schooled is a extremely humorous book about Capricorn Anderson, a boy whose been living on a commune his whole life until his grandmother falls out of a plum tree and Cap has to be sent to a normal school and live with a social worker and her beautiful daughter until his grandmother recovers.
One of the reasons I loved Schooled so much was because of Capricorn. He's one of my favorite characters ever -- he's true to himself, peaceful, and about the nicest person you'll ever meet. His charac...more

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Jun 04, 2010

Barky rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-caudill-nominees, juvenile-fiction, young-adult-fiction, realistic, families, middle-school, hippies, funny, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Capricorn Anderson is a 13-year old hippie. He’s been living on a farm with his grandmother, Rain, his whole life. When Rain falls out of their plum tree and breaks her hip, however, Capricorn has to stay with a former member of their commune (Floramundi), who is now a social worker. She tries to introduce him gently to the outside world, but it’s still a huge culture shock to Cap. By far the most disturbing experience is Claverage Middle School, where Cap is immediately elected 8th grade pr...moreCapricorn Anderson is a 13-year old hippie. He’s been living on a farm with his grandmother, Rain, his whole life. When Rain falls out of their plum tree and breaks her hip, however, Capricorn has to stay with a former member of their commune (Floramundi), who is now a social worker. She tries to introduce him gently to the outside world, but it’s still a huge culture shock to Cap. By far the most disturbing experience is Claverage Middle School, where Cap is immediately elected 8th grade president (in the time-honored tradition of choosing the most socially inadequate student to fulfill the role). The past several presidents have all suffered some sort of emotional/mental breakdown and had to transfer/retire before the ends of their terms. Capricorn is so serious about his responsibilities, though. He doesn’t seem to understand that kids are being mean, that they’re trying to take advantage of him, and that they’re trying to get under his skin. After he saves their bus driver by taking over the bus when he has a heart attack (and driving him to the hospital), it changes the way that the other kids see him. Gradually he starts making friends, and soon he’s become some kind of teenage celebrity – everyone wants to jump on his bandwagon. Everyone except Zach Powers – the kid who used to enjoy that kind of adoration. When Zach’s plans to make Capricorn the laughingstock of Claverage fail, he resolves to remove him from the student body. Coincidentally, this happens at the time Rain is released from her therapy, and Cap and Rain return to their farm. The middle schoolers all think something terrible has happened to Cap, and the only thing Zach can do now is host a memorial service for him. Cap shows up midway through (Floramundi’s daughter picks him up from the farm) and reassures everyone. And, after seeing how much Cap has changed Claverage (and after admitting to herself that she’s done nothing to prepare Capricorn for Real World Responsibilities), Rain sells the farm and buys a condo so that she and Cap can continue their work in the framework of the outside world.

This is funny and smart and pure Gordon Korman. Capricorn Anderson is awesome in so many ways, and I love how nothing anyone does ever really gets under his skin. He’s so honest and serious that he can’t even imagine people are messing with him and their teasing and bullying just don’t affect him. He baffles his would-be tormentors into submission. They have no idea what to do with him. Even popularity doesn’t go to his head. It’s like no matter what happens, Capricorn is always going to be who he is. Readers who liked Jerry Spinelli’s Star Girl books will probably also enjoy reading about Capricorn, who can only be himself.(less)

· see review

May 06, 2010

Karla rated it

· review of another edition

Capricorn Anderson is an awkward, thirteen-year old hippie boy thrown into a world full of new environment and insane middle schoolers. Cap's grandmother, Rain, recently had an accident at Garland Farm when she was picking fruit, which landed her in the hospital and Cap in the local middle school. He endured shoe-stealing, spit balls, police involvement, and the title of class president which came along with "loser". Then, Cap started to befriend people in the middle school and earned ...more

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About Gordon Korman

Korman wrote his first book, This Can't be Happening at Macdonald Hall, when he was 12 years old for a coach who suddenly found himself teaching 7th grade English. He later took that episode and created a book out of it, as well, in The Sixth Grade Nickname Game, where Mr. Huge was based on that 7th grade teacher.

Korman moved to New York City where he studied film and film writing. Wh...more

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“When we lock things away," he said with conviction, "we're really imprisoning ourselves.” — 19 people liked it

“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.” — 7 people liked it

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