Holiday Gift Ideas: Ungifted (Korman)

Title: Ungifted
Author: Korman
Genre: Fiction, Funny, Middle School, Friendship, Robots
Pages: 280
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

After pulling a major prank that lands him in the district superintendent's office, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is accidentally sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students. Needless to say, Donovan knows he's dodged a bullet and intends to do whatever it takes not to let on that he doesn't belong in the gifted program.

Before we go any farther, I have to admit to being a HUGE Gordon Korman fan. Seriously...top 10 all-time authors. I recently convinced our 6th grade team to make his title "Schooled" an all-grade read. Big fan! And this latest book did not disappoint.

Written much like "Schooled," with multiple characters' first-person narration propelling the story forward, this has something to offer every reader. Yes, there is a subtle message of tolerance and many ideas to ponder while reading, but it is also a funny story that is universal to all middle school students. Donovan is a charming character with heart, and his story has broad appeal.

And who could say no to that cover?

On a recent online auction to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, I won an autographed copy of this book. I was quite excited (even though I missed out on some other great things...that's a post for another day) and looked forward to having some sort of clever contest at Evergreen with this book as a prize. However...the more I think about it...is it bad that I kind of want to keep it for myself?