Gordon Korman is the quintessential middle school author.  I don’t even think he’s more of a boy’s author; I just think he writes with a style that draws male and female middle school students into his literary world.  My favorite current read from Korman is Schooled (©2007, Hyperion Books for Children).  It’s the story of Capricorn (Cap) Anderson, a 13-year-old boy who has never watched television.  (Wow.)  He’s never tasted pizza, heard of a wedgie or worn shoes from a store.  (Really?)  Since he was little, he has been living on a farm commune and been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain.  (Oh, my!)

All this changes one day when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums and she has to stay in the hospital with a broken hip.  Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and her attitudinal teen daughter while attending the local middle school.   Cap looks and lives the part of true hippie, which has students at “C Average” (Claverage) Middle School thinking, “Is this guy for real?”  What ensues is a series of situations where you might think, “Poor Cap! He’s going to be eaten alive in the middle school world.”   Don’t be so sure.  Read this book, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.  Good overcomes evil in the end, with a bit of a compromise that will surprise you.  True to his form, Korman includes a couple of quirky moments that seem a bit out-of the-ordinary, but you’ll be satisfied at the ending.

Great independent read for Ideas students and those Elements students who like a funny book.

AL A CARTE (11/8/2013)

Are You a Member? – If you’re not a member of a professional reading association, take the time to think about it.  Both IRA and the Nebraska State Reading Association provide professional development opportunities and communication about your profession.

Teach Like a Champion – If you attended the flex session for TLAC this year, then you know about Doug Lemov and his fantastic classroom management materials.  Here’s a post from the TLAC blog, containing a nice video clip of several strategies in use.

How Books Open Your Mind – Just been introduced to TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) website, which contains lots of interesting video clips on a myriad of topics with a range of speakers.  While this may be above your students’ heads, it interested me the thought of reading the same book in different languages.

 Ban Round Robin – I shared a strategy in an earlier post about an alternative to round robin reading.  I’m not opposed to some reading aloud, but in a way that engages students.  Check out this nice list of additional ideas.

Test-Taking Devices, Anyone? – I find this blog true to its name, and I appreciate the things he brings up about our educational world.

The Wacky World of One-Star Reviews – I’ve tried this with a few classics and it is funny what you’ll find on Amazon.  Makes you wonder what people are thinking when they hit “send.”