Schooled - by Jamie Sumner (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A Golden Kite Award Winner for Young Readers and Middle Grade Fiction

An "insightful and absorbing" (Shelf Awareness, starred review) novel from acclaimed author Jamie Sumner about new schools, unexpected friendships, and overcoming loss.

Eleven-year-old Lenny Syms is about to start college--sort of. As part of a brand-new experimental school, Lenny and four other students are starting sixth grade on a university campus, where they'll be taught by the most brilliant professors and given every resource imaginable.

This new school is pretty weird, though. Instead of hunkering down behind a desk to study math, science, and history, Lenny finds himself meditating, participating in discussions where you don't even have to raise your hand, and spying on the campus population in the name of anthropology.

But Lenny just lost his mom, and his Latin professor dad is better with dead languages than actual human beings. Lenny doesn't want to be part of some learning experiment. He just wants to be left alone. Yet if Lenny is going to make it as a middle schooler on a college campus, he's going to need help. Is a group of misfit sixth graders and one particularly quirky professor enough to pull him out of his sadness and back into the world?

Review Quotes

* "[A]n insightful and absorbing coming-of-age middle-grade novel . . . a fascinating exploration of education, sorrow, and the tensions of adolescence . . . Sumner brilliantly imagines a caring alternate educational path yet highlights the universal nature of insecurity and stress; Schooled is a heartfelt reminder that growing up can be painful but, luckily, it doesn't have to be done alone."
--Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW

"A quirky exploration of grief and the unexpected ways kids work through life's challenges. . . . a unique take on loss, friendship, and self-discovery. This story of Lenny's unconventional life will hold highest appeal for tweens who enjoy unique, heartfelt narratives."--School Library Journal

"A witty voice, endearingly eccentric ragtag group of characters, and silly high jinks combine with philosophical musings as these lovable folks, each with their own battles and stories, come together to build a new community together."--Booklist

"Quirky characters navigate life's ups and downs."--Kirkus Reviews

"Sumner skillfully depicts standard coming-of-age themes like finding community and navigating grief with fresh humor and vitality."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jamie Sumner is the author of the Roll with It trilogy, Tune It Out, One Kid's Trash, The Summer of June, Maid for It, Deep Water, Please Pay Attention, Schooled, Glory Be, and Wish You Well. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She is also the mother of a son with cerebral palsy and has written extensively about parenting a child with special needs. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her at Jamie-Sumner.com.