Gordon Korman

It took me a while to get around to reading this one, but I've been recommending it since it came out as hilarious, knowing I could trust Gordon Korman. SPOILERS.

Cameron Boxer is a slacker. He's proud of it; he's worked hard to get where he is. Completely uninvolved in anything except video games, the height of his ambition is to win big $$ at an upcoming video game competition. But when he accidentally almost gets the house burned down, his parents give him an ultimatum: Get involved in show more something or his gaming will be cut off. Cameron panics - he doesn't have time in his busy schedule to actually DO stuff! Fortunately, one of his friends can hack into the school website and set up a fake club for them. The Positive Action Group, that sounds good. Now Cameron can get back to gaming and his life will go on as usual.

There's just one problem - kids want to get involved with the PAG. And Cameron is supposed to be the president! Wild hijinks ensue as fellow students, teachers, and even his own friends decide they want to do good deeds. Before Cam knows it, things are out of control, he's being threatened by the high school Fuzzies (a competing good deeds club) and then there's the whole Elvis-the-beaver thing... Will Cam be forced to give up his gamer lifestyle and actually, you know, get involved?

Korman's trademark humor abounds, from the football player who refers to himself in the third person to the extracurricular-obsessed high school Fuzzy president. Cam himself is a typical Korman anti-hero - he just doesn't want to get involved and can't understand why people won't leave him alone. The events are a little over the top, but along with a big dose of humor there's a subtle suggestion that maybe making a difference isn't as hard as you think - and kids can definitely make that difference.

Plus Cam's younger sister turns out to be his gaming arch-nemesis (and much better than him) which was hilarious also.

Verdict: A must-have in your collection - give it to your slacker gamers, kids who want to get involved, beaver fans, and anyone who likes a funny book.

ISBN: 9780545823159; Published April 2016 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library show less

This was fast paced and action packed and it was wickedly good. Unlike Alex Rider it's not overly sad and unlike Cherub - I like the main characters. As a reader, I relate to Amy but I love Dan's way of looking at things. They're a great team. Nellie, the au pair, is hilarious. She's laid back and loyal and can speak a seemingly million different languages. The rest of the Cahill family kind of suck, but what's an adventure story without a villain? Or ten? The plot is riveting - the mix of show more fiction and history is fascinating and I'm flying through the series. They're not particularly long - but then this kind of book never is - or at least never feels like it is. I can't wait to read the rest. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.


Jonah? Really? Honestly I feel sorry for the rest of the kids in the hunt - they all have horrible evil parents. Not exactly setting a great example there. At least Jonah does try to redeem himself - although how much remains to be seen.
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I don't usually read Gordon Korman books, even though I'm quick to suggest them to kids looking for fast-paced, engaging, fun reads. (I got turned off by his 39 Clues books -- not a fan.)

But I saw this book was getting good reviews and decided to skim it. I was surprised by how complex the characters were and how well the story brought the horror of the Holocaust to light for modern middle schoolers. So I actually read the whole thing. And I liked it!

Was the ending a little over the top? show more Um, yeah. But it gave me warm fuzzy feelings and it's the holiday season so I'm not complaining. As a mystery, the book succeeds. The whodunnit made sense and was surprising at the same time. 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