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Old School

by Gordon Korman

A middle-schooler between two worlds

Regular price $17.71 USD
Regular price $29.52 USD Sale price $17.71 USD
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Hardcover New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Author recognition

    By a New York Times bestselling author

    The source identifies Gordon Korman as a New York Times bestselling author; this recognition is attributed to th...

AlbakiReads Editorial

A middle-schooler between two worlds

Twelve-year-old Dexter Foreman has grown up at his grandmother’s retirement community, where the residents have homeschooled him and his habits reflect their company. A truancy officer’s arrival sends him to the local middle school, where his old-fashioned clothes and tastes make him stand out. The contrast between The Pines and school gives the story its central comic setup, while Dexter’s wish to return to his former life becomes complicated as the two communities intersect. Gordon Korman’s novel brings together school adjustment, friendships across generations, and the awkward work of finding a place among peers.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Kids ages 9–12 interested in school stories and navigating peer relationships.
  • Readers who enjoy stories involving intergenerational friendships and contrasting communities.
  • Fans of comic fiction about an unconventional student.

Themes

School adjustmentIntergenerational relationshipsBelonging among peersHome and community

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unteachables comes a hilarious story about a boy who is homeschooled in his grandmother's retirement community...until he is forced to go to public school.

Dexter Foreman is twelve going on eighty. He has lived at The Pines retirement village with his grandmother since he was six years old, and as a result he gets along better with senior citizens than kids his own age. He's homeschooled by the residents up until the day the county's truancy officer shows up and announces that Dex has to go to a "real" school, to the local middle school.

At school, Dex sticks out like a sore thumb. He dresses like a grandpa (and can be just as cranky). His taste in movies and music is decades out of date. Only a few students--like Gianna Greco, a reporter at the school's newspaper--find him intriguing. For most, he is either a weirdo or a target.

Dexter would do anything to return to his old life at The Pines. But when his wish finally seems to be coming true, his old and new worlds collide in a way that surprises everyone--Dexter most of all.

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