Your Breath Smells Like Granola

Schooled
By Gordan Korman

Do you ever wonder what it would be like for a homeschool student to be suddenly thrust into the hairy, scary world of public school? What if that homeschool student wasn't just homeschooled, but homeschooled on a commune that maintained all the free spirited ideals of the 1960s? Gordon Korman explores that very idea in Schooled ...

Summary
Capricorn Anderson is anything but your normal teenager. Having been raised and educated by his grandmother, Rain, on a 1960s-era commune that is now home to just the pair of them, he knows nothing of the modern world. So when Rain falls out of a tree and needs several weeks of hospital care, leaving her grandson in the care of a social worker, poor Cap thinks he’s practically landed on another planet. While his long hair, tie-dyed shirts, and corn husk shoes were perfectly acceptable at the Garland Farm, Cap’s new middle school classmates take one look at him and decide they have a perfect new target for torture.

But while the eighth graders at Claverage Middle School do their best to let Cap know they think he’s the weirdest thing ever, Cap isn’t fazed. In fact, he takes the opportunity to observe all the social interactions and behaviors he’s read about but never seen. He takes it all in stride, and never fights back (because “violence is not the answer”). And at some point, some of the students start to appreciate his resilience and decide to see what it would be like to do some of the things Cap does. Is Claverage ready for Tai Chi and The Beatles?

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Good Night’s Sleep

Okay, I liked this book. I thought the concept was hilarious, and I’m totally intrigued by homeschooling and the questions of socialization that it raises. However, I had a few issues with this book. I think the main thing I didn’t like about it was the fact that Korman uses multiple narrators. Each chapter is narrated by a different character (I think there were about five total), and it was a little hard to follow sometimes. I liked getting the different viewpoints, but sometimes I had to stop and remind myself who was talking. I also felt that the middle school environment Korman created was a little too sophisticated (football, pep rallies, and dances), and that clashed a bit with the personalities of his characters.

On a positive note, I loved Cap’s easy-going nature and the way he took every opportunity – whether he was observing other people or being teased by them – to learn something new. He never wore down, and was inspirational in his patience and observations of society. Overall, a fun read, and an interesting situation to consider.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.