Schooled

First, a definition of "commune" from Wikipedia. "A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, work, and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become important core principles for many communes." In the 60's they were "free-love refuges for flower children."

In Schooled by Gordon Korman, we meet thirteen-year-old Cap, short for Capricorn, who has grown up on a commune with his Grandmother, Rain. This particular farm-commune was established in the 60's by Rain and other, like-minded hippies. Unfortunately, in the 00's, the Garland Farm has only two residents - Cap and Rain. When Rain falls off of a ladder and breaks her leg, she is no longer independent. She needs hospital care and then physical therapy. Cap can't stay at home, so he moves in with a social worker who happens to know a little something about Garland Farm.

Cap knows how to drive a pickup, but has never seen a TV. He knows when and how to harvest the fruit grown on the farm, but he has never eaten pizza. Rain has homeschooled him according to the law of the land so he would pass a Constitution test, but he doesn't know what "dial 9-1-1?" means. We first meet Cap when a police officer arrests him for driving without a license. Cap doesn't understand what is wrong because Rain taught him to drive when he was eight!

Things go from strange to crazy when Cap is enrolled into Claverage Middle School. The student body calls it C-average. We get to meet several members of the student body. There is the jock, the bully, the geek, the popular girl and the wannabe. The bully, Zach, intends to carry out the 8th grade tradition of nominating the geek for Student Council President and ensuring that s/he wins and making the year shear torture for the geek. Nervous break-downs are not uncommon. Lucky for the resident geek, when Cap comes to town, he moves up the scale a notch. Zach sets his sights on Cap instead. Let the jokes/pranks begin! What Zach doesn't see coming? Cap takes the job seriously and the pranks seriously too. Zach finds himself on the receiving end.

I have seen this book paired with Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, a book that was widely circulated a few years ago because of its message against bullying. To put it another way, a message for embracing our differences. Cap is teased and plotted against because he is different - strange. He is peaceful and accepting. Everyone is his friend, but even the geek, the first to befriend him, turns against him for his own benefit eventually. This book is a fine example of mob-mentality. Someone identifies the weakest person and everyone follows to make that person's existence miserable. In Cap's case, he was raised to be an independent free-thinker and a member of a society where even his wishes are given full consideration. He is strong enough, or perhaps naive enough, to continue to love and even win the hearts of the mob.

It is fun to see what all kinds of trouble Cap can get into because of his naivete. His is arrested more than once. He's always the hero despite the misunderstandings and miscommunications.