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Schooled
Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a school counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
1,165 people are currently reading
10.6k people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
219books4,095followersGordon 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 3,197 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
করম্যানে� বই ধরতে না ধরতে শে� হয়ে যাচ্ছে!!প্রতিবার মন� হচ্ছ�, বইটা এত� ছো� ক্যানো! "স্কুলড " এর নায়� ক্যাপরিকর্� বা ক্যা� হচ্ছ� হিপ্পি।দাদির সাথে� কেটেছে তা� সমস্� জীবন।আধুনি� কোনো প্রযুক্তির সাথে ক্যাপে� পরিচয় নেই। দাদি রেইন অসুস্থ হওয়ার পর জীবন� প্রথমবার বাধ্� হয়ে দাদি ব্যতী� অন্য মানুষদের সাথে বসবা� কর� শুরু কর� সে।ভর্তি হয� স্কুলে� সারাবছ� মনের সুখে বুলি� করার জন্য ক্যাপক� এইটথ গ্রেডে� প্রেসিডেন্� বানিয়� দ্যায় স্কু� বুলি জ্যাখ। কী হোলো এরপর তা নিয়েই মূ� গল্প� যথারীতি মজার, যথারীতি অন্তর্দৃষ্টিসম্পন্� করম্যা� স্বমহিমায় উপস্থি� এখানেও� মিডল গ্রেডে� জন্য লেখা বইয়ের সমস্� কম� ট্রো� ব্যবহা� করেও করম্যা� যেভাবে পাঠকদে� আগ্র� জাগিয়� রাখত� পারে� সেটা নিঃসন্দেহে বিরা� কৃতিত্বে� ব্যাপার।
করম্যানে� এবারের নায়� ক্যা� proactive� কে� তাকে ভাঙত� পারে না� বিরূ� পরিস্থিতিত� অন্য সবাই যেখানে কেঁদেকেট�, রেগে, চিৎকার কর�, শা� শাপান্� করতো পুরো পৃথিবীকে; সেখানে ক্যা� আশ্চর্যরকম শান্�, ধ্যানী এব� নিরুত্তাপ। এই চরিত্র থেকে নেওয়া� আছ� অনেক কিছু�
করম্যানে� এবারের নায়� ক্যা� proactive� কে� তাকে ভাঙত� পারে না� বিরূ� পরিস্থিতিত� অন্য সবাই যেখানে কেঁদেকেট�, রেগে, চিৎকার কর�, শা� শাপান্� করতো পুরো পৃথিবীকে; সেখানে ক্যা� আশ্চর্যরকম শান্�, ধ্যানী এব� নিরুত্তাপ। এই চরিত্র থেকে নেওয়া� আছ� 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 হার্�-ওয়ার্মি� ফি�-গু� বু�! রিজওয়ান খলিল, হা� ক্যা� আই এভার থ্যাংক য়্য� ফর রেকমেন্ডিং গর্ড� করম্যা�? য়্য� আর মা� ম্যা�!
আংরেজি বুলি বা�, বাংলায� আসি। দোস্� রিজওয়ানকে কো� করেই বল�, কে� যদ� নিজে� কৈশোরে মুহাম্মদ জাফর ইকবালে� লেখা পছন্� কর� থাকে, এব� দুনিয়াদারির চাপে প্যাঁচ খেয়� সিনিক্যা� জিলাপি হয়ে না যায়, গর্ড� করম্যানে� লেখা তা� ভা� লাগত� বাধ্য। কিশো� বয়সের হঠাৎ বেড়� ওঠার টানাপোড়েন আছ�, দুষ্টুমি আছ�, হারাতে হারাতে� থেকে যাওয়া ইনোসেন্স আছ�, স্কুলে� সুন্দরী মেয়েগুল� বা রা� এন্ড টা� ছেলেদে� দিকে আকর্ষণ আছ�, আবেগ আছ�, আমা��ে� বুড়োদের জন্য খানিকট� বিরক্তিক� মেলোড্রামা� আছে। আছ� বদ পোলাপা�, পড়ুয়� নার্�, মূ� চরিত্র আছ� যে সাধারণ� ব্যতিক্র� হব�, আর এখ� পর্যন��ত যা পড়েছি তাতে হ্যাপি এন্ডিং� আছে। মোটামুটি ফর্মুলায� ফেলা, বা� ওয়ার্কস ফর মি এভরি টাইম� মিডল গ্রে� বই বল� কিছু সামাজি� ইস্যুও থাকে, দ্যা� টু, ওয়ার্ক্� ফর মি, আই স্টি� হ্যাভন্ট গিভে� আপ অন দি� ওয়ার্ল্ড। আর করম্যানে� সবচেয়� দুর্দান্� ব্যাপা� হল� উই� আর এগজিকিউশন। তিনি জানে� � ধরণে� বইয়ের পাঠকের� কি চায়� পড়ত� বসলে তা� বই একেবার� শে� করেই উঠতে হবে।
খু� সামান্� কথায�, এক হিপ্পি নানী (বা দাদী)'� কাছে একটা নির্জন খামারে বড� হওয়� এক হিপ্পি কিশোরক� হঠাৎ করেই এক মিডল স্কুলে ভর্ত� হত� হয়। একেবার� প্রথ� মুহূর্� থেকে� স্কুলে� বড� গুণ্ডা তা� পেছন� লাগে� দুনিয়াদার� নিয়� কিছু� না জানা কিশো� এবার কি করবে?
বড়দের দৃষ্টিতে দেখল� রেটি� ৩। কিশো� পাঠকের চোখে দেখল� অবশ্যই � তারা, কম কর� হলেও�
আংরেজি বুলি বা�, বাংলায� আসি। দোস্� রিজওয়ানকে কো� করেই বল�, কে� যদ� নিজে� কৈশোরে মুহাম্মদ জাফর ইকবালে� লেখা পছন্� কর� থাকে, এব� দুনিয়াদারির চাপে প্যাঁচ খেয়� সিনিক্যা� জিলাপি হয়ে না যায়, গর্ড� করম্যানে� লেখা তা� ভা� লাগত� বাধ্য। কিশো� বয়সের হঠাৎ বেড়� ওঠার টানাপোড়েন আছ�, দুষ্টুমি আছ�, হারাতে হারাতে� থেকে যাওয়া ইনোসেন্স আছ�, স্কুলে� সুন্দরী মেয়েগুল� বা রা� এন্ড টা� ছেলেদে� দিকে আকর্ষণ আছ�, আবেগ আছ�, আমা��ে� বুড়োদের জন্য খানিকট� বিরক্তিক� মেলোড্রামা� আছে। আছ� বদ পোলাপা�, পড়ুয়� নার্�, মূ� চরিত্র আছ� যে সাধারণ� ব্যতিক্র� হব�, আর এখ� পর্যন��ত যা পড়েছি তাতে হ্যাপি এন্ডিং� আছে। মোটামুটি ফর্মুলায� ফেলা, বা� ওয়ার্কস ফর মি এভরি টাইম� মিডল গ্রে� বই বল� কিছু সামাজি� ইস্যুও থাকে, দ্যা� টু, ওয়ার্ক্� ফর মি, আই স্টি� হ্যাভন্ট গিভে� আপ অন দি� ওয়ার্ল্ড। আর করম্যানে� সবচেয়� দুর্দান্� ব্যাপা� হল� উই� আর এগজিকিউশন। তিনি জানে� � ধরণে� বইয়ের পাঠকের� কি চায়� পড়ত� বসলে তা� বই একেবার� শে� করেই উঠতে হবে।
খু� সামান্� কথায�, এক হিপ্পি নানী (বা দাদী)'� কাছে একটা নির্জন খামারে বড� হওয়� এক হিপ্পি কিশোরক� হঠাৎ করেই এক মিডল স্কুলে ভর্ত� হত� হয়। একেবার� প্রথ� মুহূর্� থেকে� স্কুলে� বড� গুণ্ডা তা� পেছন� লাগে� দুনিয়াদার� নিয়� কিছু� না জানা কিশো� এবার কি করবে?
বড়দের দৃষ্টিতে দেখল� রেটি� ৩। কিশো� পাঠকের চোখে দেখল� অবশ্যই � তারা, কম কর� 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
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
অসাধার� সুন্দর একটা গল্পের নিমিষে মন ভা� কর� দেয়� একটা কিশোরোপন্যাস� যুগে� চেয়� চল্লিশ বছ� পিছিয়� থেকে সমাজ থেকে সম্পূর্ণ বিচ্ছিন্� অবস্থায় ষাটে� দশকে� হিপ্পি সংস্কৃতিতে কোনপ্রকা� টেকনোলজি � মানবসংস্পর্শবিহীনভাব� দাদি রেইনের কাছে বড� হওয়� (জন্মের পর থেকে যে এই একটামাত্� মানুষকেই চিনে জেনে এসেছ�) তেরো বছরে� ক্যাপ্রিকর্ন অ্যান্ডারসনে� হঠাৎ ঘটনাচক্র� একধাক্কায় প্রায় ভিন্� গ্যালাক্সি� এলিয়েনে� মতোই ২০০৭-এর অত্যাধুনিক সমাজ-পরিবেশ-রীতিনীতি-মানুষজনে� মাঝে এস� পড়া � তাতে ধীরে ধীরে নিজেকে মানিয়� নেয়ার চেষ্টা; আর আশেপাশের "অতিচালাক" � "স্মার্�" মানুষদের তাদে� মাঝে আস� এই আপাত-কিম্ভুতহাস্যকর সহজসরল কিশোরটির ভেতরের ইস্পাত দৃঢ় অদম্� মনোবলে� প্রকৃত মনুষ্যত্বে� নিখাঁদ মানসিকতাকে একটু একটু কর� উপলব্ধ� কর�-শ্রদ্ধ� জাগিয়� ভয়ানক অপছন্দতা-গণবিদ্বেষক� প্রব� পছন্দনীয়তা-জনপ্রিয়তায় আমূল পরিবর্তি� হওয়�... আন্ডারস্ট্যান্ডি�, এক্সেপ্টেন্স, এম্প্যাথ�, ফ্রেন্ডশিপ�
চুম্বকের মত� প্রতিট� পৃষ্ঠায় আটকে রেখে শে� শব্দটা অবধি মন্ত্রমুগ্ধে� মত� পড়ে যাওয়া� শে� করার পরেও জেনুইনলি একটা অতৃপ্ত� মন� থেকে যাওয়া - পরবর্তী অপার সব সম্ভাবনা কেবল কল্পনা� চোখে দেখে� যে মন ভর� না, বইটা ক্যা� আরেকটু বড� হল� না! সিম্পল� মাইন্ডব্লোয়িং ব্রিলিয়ান্ট, মি� করম্যা�, মা� হ্যাটস অফ টু ইউ স্যার।
নিঃসন্দেহে � � ৫।
চুম্বকের মত� প্রতিট� পৃষ্ঠায় আটকে রেখে শে� শব্দটা অবধি মন্ত্রমুগ্ধে� মত� পড়ে যাওয়া� শে� করার পরেও জেনুইনলি একটা অতৃপ্ত� মন� থেকে যাওয়া - পরবর্তী অপার সব সম্ভাবনা কেবল কল্পনা� চোখে দেখে� যে মন ভর� না, বইটা ক্যা� আরেকটু বড� হল� না! সিম্পল� মাইন্ডব্লোয়িং ব্রিলিয়ান্ট, মি� করম্যা�, মা� হ্যাটস অফ টু ইউ স্যার।
নিঃসন্দেহে � � 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!!!
January 17, 2022
This review was originally posted on homeschoolingteen.com
For the video review, click .
As a child, I was very vocal about my being homeschooled: if I was in the room, everyone would find out about it within 10 minutes. Because of this, I encountered quite a few stereotypes regarding homeschoolers: apparantly, we have no friends, are really smart � or really dumb � and we always vote conservative. One stereotype, however, I never heard: that of us being hippies. Surely, nobody could really believe that? Well, a certain group of people certainly does seem to believe it: authors. They typically portray homeschoolers as naive, otherwordly martial arts enthusiasts. In these books, the homeschooler has to go to a public school for the first time, and there encounters all-new, life-changing things such as wedgies and peer pressure. During their stay, they change everyone for the better, showing them the more simple and beautiful parts of life while simultaneously learning to look outside their own narrow world.
Schooled by Gordan Korman is just such a book. 13-year-old Capricorn has grown up with his grandmother Rain on a hippie compound called Garland. When Rain falls out of a tree and lands in the hospital, Capricorn � Cap for short � needs a place to stay. He finds a room with a social services worker called Mrs. Donnelly, who happens to have grown up in Garland and spends the rest of the book privately reminiscing about the horrible time she had there, even describing it as a cult. Meanwhile, Cap goes to the local public school, where he promptly gets chosen school president so that everyone can make fun of him when he inevitably fails. But of course, he doesn’t fail. Instead, when he leaves, the entire school is changed for the better and misses him. And then, seeing Cap needs school and friends, Rain decides to give up their farm, go live in the city, let Cap go to school, and let him watch reality shows because he needs a normal childhood.
My main issue with this book is how it portrays homeschoolers as the most out of touch aliens. Cap gets compared to a time traveller from the past various times. It admits that Cap is far ahead of his classmates in his studies, but he’s very far behind in everything else: he has never seen a girl up close before, doesn’t know what 9-1-1 or a policeman is, doesn’t understand the concept of a locker or speakers, and for some reason doesn���t know how to shake hands. I am willing to give that some homeschoolers might � and I say might � be 60’s type hippies who grow their own food, are vegetarians and believe in Zen Buddhism. I am also willing to acquiesce that a small part of homeschoolers is very sheltered. An even smaller part might be so sheltered it could be considered abusive. But at this point, we’re down to a tiny percentage of all homeschoolers. Most of us do understand how money works and what the phrase “get a life� means.
I also feel as if this book required no research whatsoever. If the author had done his work, he would have found that homeschoolers are socially more advanced than their peers. If he had done his work, maybe Cap would probably not have been a liberal pantheist but a conservative monotheist. As it is, the author doesn’t seem to have needed more than a vague knowledge of what homeschoolers are about to write this book. All of the information on what hippies did and believed was common knowledge, and I’m assuming the author got all his information about high school from his own younger years. This is just a very low-effort “what if?� story that rehashes old, dusty stereotypes and neglects to step out of any proverbial boxes.
Now, I want to make it clear that some people really should not homeschool their children. The increase in child deaths by abuse in the past one and a half years has made that point for me. And some homeschoolers might indeed live like Capricorn and Rain. But I believe it’s very harmful to only write books about these types of homeschoolers. You’re only strengthening the stereotype. And the people who hear these stereotypes are the future lawmakers of our countries. You know, the “experts� who are “genuinely concerned� about homeschooled kids and therefore want to make homeschooling as hard as possible for normal people who have never abused a child in their life.
I would like to end this review with a plea to all non-homeschooled writers trying to write a book about homeschoolers: can you please do your research? There are quite a lot of homeschoolers around if you try to find them. Go visit them, talk with them, try to see things from their perspective. Because, potentially, a book about a homeschooler who has to go to school for the first time is amazing. But they’re not just fun books that you can write without putting in the effort, and I’m really getting tired of seeing the stories told from the perspective of people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
For the video review, click .
As a child, I was very vocal about my being homeschooled: if I was in the room, everyone would find out about it within 10 minutes. Because of this, I encountered quite a few stereotypes regarding homeschoolers: apparantly, we have no friends, are really smart � or really dumb � and we always vote conservative. One stereotype, however, I never heard: that of us being hippies. Surely, nobody could really believe that? Well, a certain group of people certainly does seem to believe it: authors. They typically portray homeschoolers as naive, otherwordly martial arts enthusiasts. In these books, the homeschooler has to go to a public school for the first time, and there encounters all-new, life-changing things such as wedgies and peer pressure. During their stay, they change everyone for the better, showing them the more simple and beautiful parts of life while simultaneously learning to look outside their own narrow world.
Schooled by Gordan Korman is just such a book. 13-year-old Capricorn has grown up with his grandmother Rain on a hippie compound called Garland. When Rain falls out of a tree and lands in the hospital, Capricorn � Cap for short � needs a place to stay. He finds a room with a social services worker called Mrs. Donnelly, who happens to have grown up in Garland and spends the rest of the book privately reminiscing about the horrible time she had there, even describing it as a cult. Meanwhile, Cap goes to the local public school, where he promptly gets chosen school president so that everyone can make fun of him when he inevitably fails. But of course, he doesn’t fail. Instead, when he leaves, the entire school is changed for the better and misses him. And then, seeing Cap needs school and friends, Rain decides to give up their farm, go live in the city, let Cap go to school, and let him watch reality shows because he needs a normal childhood.
My main issue with this book is how it portrays homeschoolers as the most out of touch aliens. Cap gets compared to a time traveller from the past various times. It admits that Cap is far ahead of his classmates in his studies, but he’s very far behind in everything else: he has never seen a girl up close before, doesn’t know what 9-1-1 or a policeman is, doesn’t understand the concept of a locker or speakers, and for some reason doesn���t know how to shake hands. I am willing to give that some homeschoolers might � and I say might � be 60’s type hippies who grow their own food, are vegetarians and believe in Zen Buddhism. I am also willing to acquiesce that a small part of homeschoolers is very sheltered. An even smaller part might be so sheltered it could be considered abusive. But at this point, we’re down to a tiny percentage of all homeschoolers. Most of us do understand how money works and what the phrase “get a life� means.
I also feel as if this book required no research whatsoever. If the author had done his work, he would have found that homeschoolers are socially more advanced than their peers. If he had done his work, maybe Cap would probably not have been a liberal pantheist but a conservative monotheist. As it is, the author doesn’t seem to have needed more than a vague knowledge of what homeschoolers are about to write this book. All of the information on what hippies did and believed was common knowledge, and I’m assuming the author got all his information about high school from his own younger years. This is just a very low-effort “what if?� story that rehashes old, dusty stereotypes and neglects to step out of any proverbial boxes.
Now, I want to make it clear that some people really should not homeschool their children. The increase in child deaths by abuse in the past one and a half years has made that point for me. And some homeschoolers might indeed live like Capricorn and Rain. But I believe it’s very harmful to only write books about these types of homeschoolers. You’re only strengthening the stereotype. And the people who hear these stereotypes are the future lawmakers of our countries. You know, the “experts� who are “genuinely concerned� about homeschooled kids and therefore want to make homeschooling as hard as possible for normal people who have never abused a child in their life.
I would like to end this review with a plea to all non-homeschooled writers trying to write a book about homeschoolers: can you please do your research? There are quite a lot of homeschoolers around if you try to find them. Go visit them, talk with them, try to see things from their perspective. Because, potentially, a book about a homeschooler who has to go to school for the first time is amazing. But they’re not just fun books that you can write without putting in the effort, and I’m really getting tired of seeing the stories told from the perspective of people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
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