Tag Book reviews

Gordon Korman Takes Us Back to Middle School

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Old School is a Gordon Korman masterpiece that will surprise and delight you while delivering a profound appreciation for the elderly.

Dexter Foreman is 12 years old and lives with his grandmother in an old folks community. Home schooled, Dexter has a best friend and favorite teacher who is 99.

This is a kid who wears hand-me-downs from the old guys at the retirement home. He carries the knowledge and wisdom of people several generations his senior, but talks and acts like them too.

What do you think would happen if Dexter is forced to attend public middle school? You may have guessed that bullies would target him from day one. You are correct, but his life and the lives of his fellow students as well as folks at the retirement home take turns that may keep you reading beyond your normal bedtime.

This is a heartwarming, funny story that, like other books by Gordon Korman, caused me to want more—more of this author’s gift.

If it leaves you wanting more, there is good news. Try Korman’s The Unteachables for starters.

Yosemite Like You’ve Never Seen

Reg Spittle 2 Comments


She was the first woman to manage the wilderness in Yosemite National Park. During 30 years working in the park, she traveled places few others see.

In Across Yosemite’s Wilderness, Laurel Munson Boyers guides readers through anecdotes that will make many feel like they are on mounted patrol with her.

Born in Yosemite Valley, Boyers knows Yosemite well enough to make this book unique and enthralling. She weaves her rich family history in the park with Yosemite events that bring one of the nation’s natural treasures to life.

My family lived just outside Yosemite for 25 years and we walked many of its trails. This book took me places I had only imagined and gave me a deep appreciation for the work park rangers do.

Boyers called famed photographer Ansel Adams a friend, which brought to mind another longtime Sierra Nevada ranger who befriended Adams. Randy Morgenson’s life (and tragic death) are described in another book I highly recommend, The Last Season, by Eric Blehm.