Old School

Summary

Dexter Foreman has lived with his grandmother at The Pines retirement village since he was six years old. He's good friends with all the senior citizens there, and he's even received a great homeschool education from them. Unfortunately, the truancy officer who shows up at The Pines one day doesn't agree, and Dex has no choice but to start going to Wolf's Eye Middle School.

     Dex doesn't quite fit in at school. He dresses and talks more like an eighty-year-old than a twelve-year-old, and since he doesn't want to be there anyway, he doesn't try very hard to make friends. Only Gianna Greco tries to befriend him, and that's because she's a journalist for the school paper thinks Dex will make a great story.

     Some kids at school try to play tricks on Dex, but it doesn't seem to work. Dex doesn't retaliate, taking interest instead in the math team and the parts of the old school building that are falling apart. He can fix a lot with his Swiss Army Knife... until it gets him in trouble. He never wanted to go to public school in the first place, but he's not sure he wants to be kicked out, either.

Why I love this book

This novel is narrated by several characters, including the school counselor, a popular boy who feels threatened by Dex's skill at math, and Ronny, the kid who bullies Dex. This allows Korman to develop side characters and grow readers' empathy for them. When readers learn that Ronny is afraid of being held back for another year, we don't just hate him for being mean, we also feel bad for him. And that makes it even more exciting when Dex's kindness starts to make Ronny rethink his actions.

     I also enjoyed how the book explores the differing cultures of old and young people, seeing both the good and the comical in them. Dex's elderly friends are confused by technology and blame the government for most of their problems, but they also show great hospitality and loyalty. The middle schoolers are sometimes mean or obsessed with popularity, but at other times, they show open-mindedness, teamwork, and a concern for justice. I find Korman's depictions of the two generations to be both charitable and accurate.

     Old School is a great story about fitting in and being yourself, but it also explores other valuable themes. Dex makes many friends throughout the book, but they aren't all genuine. One sits by him at lunch only to benefit from Dex's extra snacks, another only wants to figure out how to sabotage him, and another only likes Dex when he's popular. Some of these friends turn into true friends later on, but it gives an interesting perspective on the meaning of friendship. Honesty and speaking up for a good cause are other themes.

Potential concerns

Gordon Korman touches on several topics that are more complex than a middle grade novel can fully handle, but I think he handles them well. Here's a brief summary of these topics:

     -Popularity: Dex goes from being the weird kid in school to being the most popular. He is baffled by this, but he enjoys it. At the end of the book, Dex seems to understand that having a couple good friends is much better, and more likely to last, than popularity.

     -Stereotypes: Any book highlighting the culture of older folks runs the risk of being stereotypical. The older characters in this book do have many of the traits most commonly associated with their demographic, but I think they are complex and likeable enough that the depictions aren't just stereotypes.

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