*Starred Review* Homeschooled on an isolated alternate farm commune that has dwindled since the 1960s to 2 members, 13-year-old Cap has always lived with his grandmother, Rain. When she is hospitalized, Cap is taken in by a social worker and sent like a lamb to slaughter to middle school. Smart and capable, innocent and inexperienced (he learned to drive on the farm, but he has never watched television), long-haired Cap soon becomes the butt of pranks. He reacts in unexpected ways and, in the end, elevates those around him to higher ground. From chapter to chapter, the first-person narrative shifts among certain characters: Cap, a social worker (who takes him into her home), her daughter (who resents his presence there), an A-list bully, a Z-list victim, a popular girl, the school principal, and a football player (who unintentionally decks Cap twice in one day). Korman capably manages the shifting points of view of characters who begin by scorning or resenting Cap and end up on his side. From the eye-catching jacket art to the scene in which Cap says good-bye to his 1,100 fellow students, individually and by name, this rewarding novel features an engaging main character and some memorable moments of comedy, tenderness, and reflection. Pair this with Jerry Spinelli's  2000 Stargirl (the sequel is reviewed in this issue)  for a discussion of the stifling effects of conformity within school culture or just read it for the fun of it.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2007 Booklist

Gr 6-9-Capricorn (Cap) Anderson, 13, has spent his entire life on a communal farm founded by his Grandmother "Rain." When Rain falls out of a tree while picking fruit and is hospitalized, Cap is taken in by the social worker and enrolled in Claverage Middle School. The boy, who has had little contact with the outside world for many years, is thrust into the harsh realities of surviving middle school. A Claverage tradition is to vote the nerdiest kid as eighth-grade class president and then ridicule the winner. The popular clique focuses on Cap as soon as he hits their radar. What ensues is a story of how an outcast can change realities in surprising ways. Gordon Korman's novel (Hyperion, 2007), narrated by a full cast, is told from alternating perspectives, including the leader of the clique, the kid in class who escaped the vote as president, the social worker and her moody daughter, and other personalities to whom listeners will relate. The vocal acting is inconsistent, with some voices falling a little flat for their character's nature. On occasion, the volume levels of transitioning segments are uneven. The well-paced narration makes up for these drawbacks. A highlight is Andy Paris's voicing of Capricorn Anderson that will endear listeners to this quirky character.-Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Thirteen-year-old Capricorn "Cap" Anderson has only left the Garland Farm Commune (founded 1967) with his grandmother ("Rain") a few times for supplies. He doesn't know what TV is like, and he's never held money in his hand. When Rain falls from a plum tree and has to spend two months in the hospital, Cap gets his first real taste of the confusing, "real" world of 2007. Fortunately, his caseworker Mrs. Donnelly spent a few of her childhood years at Garland, and she knows what he's in for. Unfortunately, there's this tradition at Claverage (C-average) Middle School in which the eighth-grade class elects the strangest kid and biggest nerd to be Class President. They don't come any stranger than Cap, and Zach Powers and his clique do their level best to make Cap's life hell. Claverage gets a taste of peace, love and understanding it won't soon forget. Korman's novel narrated by the good, the bad and the only slightly involved is his usual smart, funny, slightly skewed realism. Tweens will definitely identify and could view their grandparents in a whole new light. (Fiction. 9-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.