Korman, Gordon. Old School. Harper, 2025. 978-0-063-23814-5. 276 p. $19.99. Grades 5-8.
Peppered with idiomatic expressions and sayings more common to senior citizens, the latest Gordon Korman offering follows his familiar plot line of alternative voices, but still manages to create likeable characters and interesting subplots. The truant officer has caught up with seventh-grade Dexter Forman who has been unofficially homeschooled by the elder experts at his grandmother’s retirement home, The Pines. Dressed in the hand-me-downs of an eighty year old, Dex reluctantly attends Wolf Eagle Middle School, where he excels in his studies and compulsively repairs the broken parts of the crumbling building. As the months drag on, Dex gets hoodwinked by a jealous narcissist into thinking he can forgo middle school if he creates an original project that satisfies the school board. His choice is to develop a code that will stump his 99 year-old-best friend, Leo, one of the Bunker Boys, the code breakers of World War II. As Dex tolerates life at school, his helpfulness and kindness get noticed. In performing one of those helpful acts with his trusty Swiss Army Knife, Dex gets suspended from school for violating the zero tolerance policy. Surprisingly, the students rally around Dex. Many visit The Pines and pair up with the mature residents and discover how much they can learn from them. At the long awaited school board meeting, the decision about Dex’s expulsion supersedes the issue of whether the decaying middle school should be torn down and rebuilt. Despite the absence of Leo and the fact that it was a hoax, Dex successfully demonstrates his project, thus commemorating his old friend and uncovering the historical significance of the school as the site of the Bunker Boys. With humor and respect, Korman presents Old School as an homage to old people and also a nod to the value of being resourceful and kind.
THOUGHTS: Tried and true, Gordon Korman may not be writing Newbery winners, but his books are solid reads that appeal to a wide audience. This one unearths lots of old timey idiomatic expressions that students may have fun explaining or incorporating into their own speech.
Realistic Fiction
Grades 3-7.
Dexter Foreman is not your average twelve year old. He’s the youngest resident of The Pines retirement community. He’s lived there with his grandmother for six years, interacting with, learning from, and making friends with all the senior citizens. He’s been homeschooled by some of the biggest names in history, including a best-selling author, a former boxer, and a World War II codebreaker. But when a truancy officer insists Dexter attend seventh grade at Wolf’s Eye Middle School, his entire world is turned upside down. He doesn’t have the right clothes, haircut, or vocabulary to fit in with his peers. When he uses a Swiss Army knife to fix a jammed vending machine – violating the school’s zero tolerance weapons policy – he is immediately suspended. At first, Dexter isn’t bothered by the suspension, since he didn’t want to attend public school anyway. But, as time passes, his feelings about school, his classmates, and his overall place in the world become more complicated. Each chapter is narrated by different people in the Wolf’s Eye community, including Dexter, his guidance counselor, and other middle school students. This allows readers to experience Dexter’s plight from multiple angles and viewpoints.
THOUGHTS: Readers will root for Dexter as he navigates the challenges of middle school life while also trying to find his own place. Korman also explores conversation-starting ideas such as fitting in versus being your own person, the kinds of traits that make a true friend, and how to stand up for what you believe in. Share this title with Gordon Korman fans as well as with teachers looking for a new read-aloud option.
Realistic Fiction