My only complaint about each of these books is that they are too short. The endings are great, but I longed to continue following the charming and clever characters’ lives.

In Schooled, by Gordon Korman, one of my favorite authors, Capricorn Anderson (Cap for short) is a teenager who has been raised and taught by his grandmother on a commune inhabited by just the two of them. He has never watched TV, interacted with other kids, nor eaten pizza.

But when his grandma is hospitalized after falling out of a tree and cannot care for him, he is sent to Claverage Middle School (nicknamed C Average by the students), where a series of events thrusts the naive eighth-grader under a spotlight that he cannot comprehend. His classmates and school are transformed in ways that will surprise and captivate you.

My love of Newbery Award-winning books continues with Catherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan. Ivan, a silver-back gorilla, describes his life while he is on display inside glass walls within a shopping mall.

When Ruby, a baby elephant raised in the wild, joins the mall’s animal family, Ivan engages a plan to transport them all to new lives.

Ivan (through Applegate) is a master storyteller whose words and actions are captivating. You are sure to enjoy his tale and his choice of words.

If you seek a distraction or just great books, I highly recommend Schooled and The One and Only Ivan.