Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Middle schoolers meet retirees in fun, history-packed romp.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Dexter Foreman is definitely OLD SCHOOL. At 12, he's spent most of his life as the only kid at The Pines, where his grandmother lives, while his diplomatic-service parents live in Belgium. He doesn't really know any kids; his best friend uses a wheelchair, is about to turn 100, and was once a code-breaker in World War II. He gets a great education from bestselling authors, retired professors, and onetime boxers—but it all changes when he's discovered by the school board and forced to go to regular middle school. Classmate Gianna, a budding journalist, sees him as a great story. Her brother Ronny, the class bully, sees him as a target. Jackson, who up to this moment has been the undisputed king of the school as captain of both the soccer and the math teams, sees him as a threat and strives to get rid of him. Having lived among adults all his life, Dexter resents it all and longs to return to homeschooling at The Pines, but the school, and life, have surprising plans for him.
Is It Any Good?
In OLD SCHOOL, 12-year-old Dexter is forced to go to regular middle school, even though he's perfectly happy living in his grandma's retirement home and being educated by its resident geniuses. Gordan Korman is in top form as he perfectly conveys middle schoolers' discontent: "Have to. More than anything else, those two words perfectly describe what real school means to me. You have to wake up early. You have to get on the bus. You have to sit through classes even though you've learned a lot of it before... Have to. It's the story of my life."
Also, there's plenty of laughs, history, and relatable middle school moments as Dexter's old school mentors have him well prepared academically—but socially, not so much. After many stumbles, his kindness, problem-solving skills, and can-do attitude help turn things around for him, which may just inspire readers to give new situations—and people—a chance.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about great friendships that might seem unusual to some—for example, between retirees and middle schoolers as in Old School. Do you know any other stories that deal with this theme? Who are the friends and what do they do?
Do you think you'd rather go to regular school or homeschool? What would you like better? What might not be so great?
Do you think knowing how to fix things that get broken is an important skill to have? Where would you go to learn?
Talk about the role of empathy in this story. Who learns to care about something or someone they didn't use to pay much attention to? How does having empathy help your relationships?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Activism , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Humility , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date : January 14, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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