Schooled by Gordan Korman

Capricorn "Cap" Anderson leads a simple and peaceful life. He lives on an isolated "alternative farm commune" called Garland Farm with Rain, his grandmother and homeschool teacher.

He has never watched TV, tasted pizza or even heard of a wedgie. But one day, Rain is picking plums on their farm and falls out of the tree.

Despite the fact that Cap only is 13 years old, he knows how to drive, and takes his grandma to the hospital (being arrested for driving without a license shortly afterward). When the doctors determine that Rain broke her hip and she needs to go to rehabilitation, Cap is forced to stay with Rain's distant friend for more than four months.

Since he has never left Garland before, Cap has a lot to learn, because Zen Buddhism and Tai Chi will not be very helpful in public middle school. But what Cap doesn't know (well, there's a lot that Cap doesn't know) is that every year, the eighth-graders pick the worst, nerdiest kid to be the president of their grade. So when Zach Powers, a popular jock, meets Cap, Cap knows who will be president.

Zach and his group of friends think that he will be clueless and a terrible leader - all the more hilarious to watch - but when they discover that he actually is a very interesting person, the joke is on them.

"Schooled," by Gordon Korman, shows how desperate so many kids are to follow the crowd, and also that people will surprise you, so never judge somebody by how they look.

This novel is comedic, touching and has a great moral. I recommend this book for kids ages 10-13.