This book follows Cap, a 13-year-old hippie, that grew up on a commune, in his transition from homeschool too junior high. There are ups and downs in his story and helps to show that we are all different and special. This book would be good for older grade school and middle school students, as a personal reading or reading assignment book.

Portrays homeschoolers in a very inaccurate, disturbing way based on stereotypes of homeschooling.

A very quick, enjoyable read. Cap is a commune kid for whom modern life is completely foreign. After his grandmother's accident, he ends up enrolled at a public school... and elected class president. I really liked this one, though felt the ending was just a little too abrupt. ( )

Cap has been raised by his grandmother - an old school hippie - on a mostly self-sustaining farm, and he's been home schooled there by her. He meditates, he works on the farm, he studies, and he's happy. Then she has an accident and he is forced to enter mainstream American society. He's in a house, with a family, and goes to a public school. It seems likely that he'll be tortured for his hair, his clothes, and not having a clue about anything that is normal for most kids. That almost happens, but not quite. Like most Gordon Korman books, it's oversimplified but it's fun to read. ( )

Just a fun read…. ( )

I love this story about a young middle school student who had never been in public school before and his innocence. He could do no harm, which took him down a path he never expected to end up on. ( )

This is an easy read that is funny and light-hearted, while at the same time having a heart. None of the characters are unlikable and even the humour isn't mean-spirited or hurtful. This could have so easily fallen in a trap of stereotypes and cliche's, but it manages to sidestep most of them, and the ones that it uses, it generally puts a fresh spin on. Overall, just a good children's book. ( )

Capricorn Anderson has lived his whole life on a commune called Garland with his grandmother, Rain, who has home-schooled him. Yet their utopia of two is shattered when Rain breaks her hip and Cap is sent to live with a foster family - except it's the social worker herself who takes him in, as she was raised in Garland until she was twelve and understands that Cap's entry into the real world is going to be bumpy. (Her teenage daughter Sophie, on the other hand, is furious about their new, hippie housemate and his backyard tai chi.)

At Claverage (a.k.a. "C Average") middle school school, Cap is quickly elected eighth grade president - not because he's popular, but because there is a longstanding tradition of electing the biggest dweeb/nerd/dork to the position and laughing as they fail. Cap, however, doesn't fail: he earnestly sets about learning the names of his 1,100 new schoolmates, and begins planning the Halloween dance, despite having zero idea what a dance is or what planning entails.

Third person narration rotates between Cap, his classmates (Zach, Naomi, and Hugh), social worker Mrs. Donnelly, Sophie Donnelly, and the vice principal. Throughout, Cap remains calm and adheres to his principles of nonviolence, despite the often violent behavior he sees around him. Seeing his innocence, some students stop bullying him and begin to appreciate his worldview and '60s style. When Rain recovers and takes Cap back to Garland, it's partly a relief...but he also misses some of his classmates. Rain, realizing she isn't going to be around forever and Cap will need to learn to live in the real world, moves them to town so Cap can continue to go to school. The ending is a bit abrupt.

See also: All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty, The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue

Quotes

"True, information isn't the same as experience." (Rain to Cap, 21)

"When you're unkind to others, it's usually because you don't believe that you, yourself, deserve kindness." (Cap to Mrs. Donnelly, 48)

Cap was weird, but there was more to it than that. There was something inside him that nobody else understood, something mysterious and strong. (Naomi, 66)

"Rain says you always know what you're doing when you're doing the right thing." (Cap, 75)

"I used to think change was a choice. That you could avoid it if you stuck with your convictions. Now I just don't know." (Rain to Cap, 203) ( )

I loved this so much! It's a warm, feel-good novel somewhat in the vein of Spinelli's Stargirl, or the movie "Blast From the Past."
Eighth-grader Capricorn Anderson has lived his entire life on an isolated hippie farm commune, and that's all he knows. But he's only lived there with his grandmother... the commune's founder... because everyone else left the commune by the mid 1970s. Since the book is set in the first decade of the 21st century, Cap, as he becomes known, doesn't know how the real world even functions.
When his grandmother falls out of a tree and has to go tot he hospital and recover in a rehab facility for two months, Cap is thrown into the chaos of middle school. And this particular middle school has a dreadful tradition: the most nerdy, dweeby, outcast kid in the 8th grade is unanimously elected class president, and then the students, led by the popular bullies, make that kid's life miserable.
But no matter what anyone tries to do to Cap, he doesn't take it the way they expect him to, and soon, kids start to actually like this weird kid who seems to have time traveled from the 1960s.
Each chapter is told in first person from multiple narrators, and it's easy to follow. I think there were eight different narrators, but the reader never forgets who is telling this portion of the story. There are many little plot twists, a lot of humor, and it's just a fun, sweet, feel-good tale. ( )

Schooled by Gordon Korman is about Cap who has been homeschooled by his very hippie grandmother. When his grandmother ends up in the hospital, Cap is now forced to go to public school where things are very different then he is used to. Korman relates to a middle school audience by addressing issues such as bullying, friendship, and having fun. The language and personality of Cap appear to be humorous which keeps a young audience engaged, and cheering for Cap’s success in his journey through public school. The story does not have a dull moment and encompasses just how strange and embarrassing middle school can be. Whether the reader is in middle school or an adult, the fast-paced environment helps readers be a part of Cap’s survival in middle school. To some the ending is not how they wanted it to be, while others feel content. Overall the quirky, embarrassing, and hormone-filled environment of middle school is perfectly drawn out in Schooled. ( )

First off, definite points for originality to Gordon Korman for this book. It was a fun read all-around, nothing spectacular, just fun.

Capricorn Anderson is a hippie, in pretty much every sense of the word. He was raised exclusively at Garland Farm, a settlement with a population of exactly two; he and his grandmother Rain. But when Rain breaks her hip and needs several weeks of recovery, Cap is entered into middle school...which may as well be a whole different planet in his eyes.

Bearing with him no knowledge of technology, teenage social rituals, or anything else modern, Cap is a walking target for the bullies at school. Soon he's been nominated for class president; a position that's more of a joke than an honor. Only he has no idea.

With each chapter narrated by one of the many characters in this short novel, Cap takes the ridicule of his peers and slowly changes the school itself into something better. With almost laughable innocence and naivety, Cap will bring the best of the hippie ideals to life again, showing that the past and the present can coexist if we have the right attitude about it. ( )

Schooled By Gordon Korman was a wonderful book to read that had an interesting story line. This book starts off with a 13-year old boy named Capricorn Anderson getting arrested for driving his grandma, Rain, to the hospital after she fell picking fruit. Capricorn and Rain lived alone on Garland Farm and when Rain broke her hip, Capricorn had to live with a family and he had to go to another school and adjust to all the changes which was hard for him because he was a lot different than the other kids. Schooled was a great book to read because the story line was very interesting. Capricorn has to adjust to many things and we went on the journey with him. We went through the challenges and the accomplishments that he had which made the book more interesting to me. The ending was not my favorite but overall the book was amazing. I would recommend this book to 10-13 year old kids because it is not a very challenging book to read but it has a topic that many books designated for 10-13 year old kids have. I would give this book 5 stars because to me it was very interesting and I was never bored reading it. Although I did not like how the book ended, I really enjoyed the book. ( )

I thought Schooled was an entertaining read that's why I gave it three and a half stars. I didn't give it all five stars because it had a predictable plot. It was also very stereotypical and similar to other books I have read. I liked how Gordon Korman showed how being different can be a good thing, and can be a bad thing. Schooled could be funny at parts and other parts I almost felt bad for Cap because he was being picked on. I don't think I would recommend this book to my peers. ( )

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.

good book -__- ( )

After teaching Junior High for 15 years and knowing what 8th grade class presidents are like, I really enjoyed this book. It was very junior highish but any high school aged reader could also relate. ( )

I could've sworn I read this book previously, but apparently I never finished it before. The 6th graders loved the book. I found it very enjoyable. The ending was a little to neatly tied up for me, but overall very good. ( )

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com/

I don't know what it is about hippie families but I was drawn to this book instantly. It's most likely because of my love of How Not to Be Popular. They both have hippie lifestyles in their stories. The difference with this one is that the main character loves the hippie life. Capricorn (Cap) loves living on the land with just him and his grandmother. But then his grandmother gets hurt and he has to stay with a guidance counselor who grew up on his commune.

Cap doesn't have a care in the world. Bullies and Sophie (daughter of the guidance counselor) don't bother him. His odd ways and non-caring attitude make him a target for bullies especially Zach Powers who's determined to be the most popular kid at school. He sets Cap up making him believe that they are friends while simultaneously making fun of him. His plan backfires when Cap becomes the most popular kid in school even inspiring others enough to make him the school's President. Before it was seen as a joke but with Cap as the President it's a position of pride.

Cap has grown up in a hippie commune which means that he's never watched t.v., he doesn't know how to interact with other kids, and he doesn't know about the world outside his own. The guidance counselor, who takes him in, Mrs. Donnelly, knows this because she grew up in the commune and when she left she knew nothing about the world. So Cap doesn't understand when Zach is making fun of him or making him go to a room for a meeting that's not even real. He's never had to deal with bullies so he doesn't get angry with them or even understand what they are doing to him. He's a very nice kid who sees the good in people as well as a quiet kid who's just very nonchalant about everything. He lives his life the way he wants to. He'll do yoga in the yard and not care about what people think even if Mrs. Donnelly's daughter, Sophie, insults him or throws water on him. You got to kind of admire the way Cap lives. Sure he's a bit naive but he's able to live his life without any worries. His nonchalant ways can be a big problem though. He doesn't know anything so when he's given the job as the President of the school he just lets everyone do what they want. This little, unassuming boy creates so much chaos.

A couple of the adults in Cap's life are very irresponsible. I couldn't understand how his grandmother, Rain, could just not teach him the basics of life. It was disappointing. Mrs. Donnelly was the only adult who understood what Cap was going through because she went through it herself. I wish she would have spoken up earlier and realized that Cap needed some lessons in the world but I understand why she didn't do it right away. He was a good kid so would she want to show him how cruel the world can be? I also, wish she would have helped him more with her daughter who saw him as a freak. Sophie did show later on that she cared but boy did he get some abuse from her. Of course all of that washed over Cap. I enjoyed their relationship no matter what. It was like they were brother and sister. Sophie unfortunately had a father who was never there but she loved him more than the mother that was there. It was sad to see her mother experience her daughter's pain. She hated to see her daughter's disappointment and I really didn't like how her caring for her daughter brought them both father away from each other. Family life is always complicated.

There was a little bit of a love interest in the book. Naomi likes Zach and will humiliate Cap to get close to him but eventually she starts feeling sorry for Cap and even starts liking him. I didn't really like her. She seemed as naive as Cap but in a different way. She just rubbed me in the wrong way. She went from Zach to him... She did feel bad about Cap being made fun of behind his back but she contributed to a lot of that. It took her too long for me to change her ways.

Originally Cap had one friend named Hugh. Hugh loved that Cap was the way he is because the attention on him was put on Cap. He felt kind of bad about feeling this way especially when he suddenly became invisible. At least when he was bullied he was noticed. I couldn't believe Cap left him behind when he got new friends. It's like he doesn't notice anything around him. That wasn't right. That was the one thing that irritated me about Cap. Otherwise he was an odd and fun person to read about. He had a good heart and just wants everyone to live peacefully. I really wanted to cut his hair the whole time though. It's a good story with Cap in the center being a genuinely good person.

“They've got these things called lockers," I raved on. "The Halls are lined with them. And you won't believe what they're for! They're for locking stuff away-so other people won't steal it! Why can't everyone share?" ( )

A very funny book. Makes you think about hippies and the positive side o being around others to understand life. Also, the positive aspects of conformity. ( )

The story's protagonist, Capricorn Anderson, is a thirteen-year old being raised in a hippie commune by "Rain," his grandmother. Since he has lived for nearly his entire life in Rain's commune, he is homeschooled, drives, and knows very little of modern "conveniences" such as telephones. After Rain falls out of a plum tree and injures herself, Cap moves in with a foster family and is enrolled in a public middle school. In most schools, there are kids who are "unpopular," not terribly athletic, or suspicious of the entire social fabric of their environment. Schooled will appeal to such students.

Capricorn has been raised on a commune, by his grandmother, Rain. He has no experience in the “real world”, but when Rain is injured and needs time to heal, Cap is taken in by a social worker and has to go to the local middle school. Cap, the new kid, is nothing like anyone’s ever seen before… this weird hippie kid, who doesn’t understand the first thing about middle school or kids his own age. Because of this, he’s an easy target to pick on.

This was really good. Meant for a younger audience, it’s pretty simple and quick to read, but a good story. I have mixed feelings about the end of the book, but overall, I really enjoyed it. ( )

Summary
Capricorn Anderson has lived with and been homeschooled by his grandmother his entire life. When his grandmother is injured and must be hospitalized for a couple months, Capricorn is shoved into a foreign world called middle school. Unbeknownst to him, he quickly becomes a target of the school’s most popular student and #1 bully, Zach Powers. Cap is constantly met with new challenges and experiences, all the while wishing he was back on the farm with his grandma.

Personal Response
Korman works early to paint a picture of how out of place Capricorn is in his new environment. He adds a humorous twist in the way Cap takes everything literally and is unphased by attempts to make him look bad. By switching narrators with each new chapter, we get multiple views of the story’s progression.

Curriculum Connection
This story would serve as a great lead-in to a lesson on tolerance. Students could also do a writing piece on what it would be like to live in a commune like the one Capricorn grew up in, imagining life without many of our modern conveniences. ( )

Capricorn Anderson was raised and homeschooled on a commune with one other person: his grandmother, Rain, a leftover hippie from the 60's. After Rain fell and broke her hip and had to go to rehab, Cap was placed in foster care with a social worker who had also lived in this commune when she was a child. This book traces Cap's experience as he goes to a real middle school for the first time, eats a school lunch for the first time, watches TV for the first time, and tries to understand the various interactions of teenagers. This is an extremely engaging book. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character in the book--Cap, the school "nerd", the school bully, popular girls, the social worker, and the social worker's 16 year old daughter. This book makes the students think about how they judge their peers, what they value and how their actions affect others. This is a great read aloud and springboard for discussion! I recommend it for grade 5. ( )

I love this book! It shows how being different can be difficult but also how it can change those around you. Capricorn, or Cap, is 13 years old and suddenly finds himself in public school after his hippy grandmother is injured. As in any middle school, there is struggle to fit in, find yourself, bullies, and friendship.

I loved it! It was really funny. It was about a boy who was raised like a hippy/was home schooled and then had to go to school. He misunderstood everything. It kind of showed how the world to day is way different than hoe it could've been. ( )