Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G Violence: PG (a bad sunburn described)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Lenny is starting 6th grade at a new school. His mother has recently passed and his dad has taken a job teaching Latin at a college so they've moved from New Jersey to Tennessee. Along with 4 other children his age, all kids of college professors, Lenny is enrolled in The Copernicus school were his education is primarily self discovery, meditation, observing campus life and auditing college classes. Lenny and his dad are grieving for his mom in different ways and are not getting along. He doesn't want to be part of anything, his dad, this school, or Tennessee.
Schooled is a bit different from Sumner's usual writing. It took me a bit to get into, and it was an adult connection rather than one kids would gravitate to. Lenny meets a professor on campus who invites him to audit his Fairy Tales class (but then the content of the class is more Mythology). Lenny is stuck unable to grieve his mother's death because his dad is in denial? can't manage his own feelings? unable to see Lenny's needs? What I really think - it's sad and readers picking it may be disappointed it's not like her other books. Lenny is white, his friends are a variety of races including Asian, Black and Hawaiian.
Lisa Librarian
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