Gordon Korman

Leo, member of the young Republicans and Ivy League-bound, finds out that his biological father is actually a punk rocker known as "King Maggot" and spends the summer before college touring around the country with him.

This book was a ride. For starters, I was used to Korman's middle grade readers so when this one opened by talking about cavity searches, I was surprised. The book takes several turns (a couple of them predictable, but interesting nonetheless) and ends up telling a compelling show more story as a result. Things tie up a little too neatly perhaps, but this was a satisfying read for some light escapism with a touch of heartfelt moments.

The audiobook version included some effects such as guitar music between chapters, distorted voices to indicate a PA system or a telephone conversation, etc. Hammond was a great reader for distinguishing the large cast with a variety of voices. show less

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, show more 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) show less

The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Like Aldo, with anger management issues; Parker, who can’t read; Kiana, who doesn’t even belong in the class—or any class; and Elaine (rhymes with pain). The Unteachables have been removed from the student body and isolated in room 117.
Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal show more that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement. But the superintendent has his own plans to torpedo that idea—and it involves assigning Mr. Kermit to the Unteachables.
The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction—and maybe even a shot at redemption. show less

In 2019, Gordon Korman, who is one of God's gifts to the genre of middle-grade fiction, surpassed himself once again with "The Unteachables." The story features a small class of utterly incorrigible 8th-graders and a teacher who is both burned out and (justifiably) bitter. Their interactions, and their development, make for a book that is both heartwarming and hilarious — two words that I tend to use very sparingly.

Very highly recommended.