Schooled

by Jamie Sumner

Schooled follows a boy who attempts to sabotage the experimental middle school he's forced to attend on the college campus where his father teaches.

Genres: Middle Grade, Friendship, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Grief, Contemporary

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2025

About the author

Jamie Sumner is the author of the critically-acclaimed middle-grade novels, Roll with It, Tune It Out, and One Kid's Trash. Her forth middle-grade novel The Summer of June hits shelves on May 31st, 2022 with Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She is also the author of the nonfiction parenting books, Eat, Sleep, Save the World and Unbound.

She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.5 stars ✰

​​​​“​​Grief is weird. You think it’s gone and then, bam, it hits you all over again.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I may not have been entirely sold on the experimental middle school, eleven-year-old Lenny's father and his fellow peers set up for their kids at the college campus where they teach, but I was totally feeling Lenny's pain. 💔​ Every visceral reminder for the memory of his mother; every ache of longing for just a glimpse of her again - seeing her in the actions of others. 'It’s such a mom thing to do that my stomach turns over.' 😢 It hurt seeing how unstable his relationship with his father became, simply because they were both grieving in their own way - choosing to ignore their pain rather than trying to talk about it. Which felt so real, but still hurt to see how much Lenny hurt from his father's silence.​

“​​Guess what, Lenny,” he says without looking up. “Life’s not fair.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ And for that I was all for Lenny's self-proclaimed motto when he realizes that when the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world - ie the father who doesn't even want to talk about his mother, so why bother? 🥺​ It was hardcore and heartfelt - 'this is real-life stuff here.' The writing convinced me of his sadness, his anger, and his frustration of wanting not to forget - for someone to still be there to share in the memories. The voice she gave him of being annoyed with his father, but still longing for him to care & love him the way his mother did. 'Now Dad just treats me like a plant. Feed Lenny. Water Lenny.' It made me empathize wholeheartedly with Lenny on several occasions. I couldn't even fault him for acting out at times.​ 🙂‍↕️

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The writing was also fresh and engaging. I'm always grateful when a middle grade book reads like one, so I definitely felt that vibe here, even chuckling a few times at how relatable some of the dialogue and thoughts were.​ 😊 I found myself nodding along to a lot of what Lenny was feeling and thinking; it hurts when no one relates to you and you want to shut yourself off from everyone; definitely my kind of guy. But, it was heartwarming to see that even though I did not quite stand by the aim of the Copernican School - for kids to stop seeing themselves as the center of the universe - it was Lenny's friendship with one of the college's elderly professor, VW, that taught him 'happiness comes when you realize it’s not about you.' VW's classes were definitely the highlight of Lenny's school year; fun and creative. The moment when he cared for someone else, beyond his own loss and sadness that really proved what the school hoped to achieve.​ 🙏🏻

“​​But you can’t text that kind of thing. You can’t even say it. It’s a thing for the white spaces.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Lenny's fellow classmates were a unique bunch, who were trying in their own way, with their own pains and struggles to shoulder. It is a bit of a gamble having them be the only five kids being Schooled into following their parents' interesting experiment 'to get us to think big, think outside ourselves' - but I liked how they each offered Lenny comfort and support in their own different and unique way.​ ❤️‍🩹🫂 It was a friendship forged by the circumstances of their situation, but it was a believable and fun bond to read about. I ​approved of how they took full advantage of many perks offered to them at their disposal - freedom being the main culprit. However, I didn't quite feel that they were nearly as resolved as I would have liked. It also surprised me how the entire school year passed, but it didn't feel like it! So possibly a potential return for seventh grade, where we tackle other kids' concerns?​ 🤔

​*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

With her 2025 middle grade novel Schooled Jamie Sumner’s storyline depicts how main protagonist and first person narrator, how eleven year old Lenny Syms and his Latin professor father (whose first name is Benjamin) have moved from New Jersey to the campus of Arrington University in Tennessee (after the death of Lenny’s mother six months ago from skin cancer) and with Lenny’s narrational voice throughout Schooled clearly and also painfully showing how he is not only massively emotionally overwhelmed by grief but also how he is frustrated as well as rather furious that his father is coping with his own grief by simply and deliberately ignoring it and thus generally refusing to even talk about his deceased wife and his and his son’s all encompassing loss. Furthermore, not to mention that relocating from New Jersey to Tennessee and from a comfortable and familiar house to a small apartment in the Married Students’ Residence on campus is also depicted in Schooled and via Sumner writing as her main tween protagonist as being not just a major change for Lenny but how this also tends to augment his feelings of alienation and loss (not being able to emotionally reach and connect to his father to discuss how much he misses his mother and how most of their former furniture etc. being in a storage unit feels like this is permanently removing Lenny Syms' deceased mother and Professor Syms’ deceased wife’s memory from existence).

And in Schooled Lenny (along with four other students) is enrolled in the Copernican School, an experimental Arrington University on campus academic program meant specifically for the children of faculty members (and that Lenny, Hen, David, Ally and Mak are thus in Schooled being supervised and instructed by their own parents). Now the Copernican School and its schedule are very different from a traditional school (that age wise, Lenny and his friends should really be attending grade six in Schooled and thus Middle School) and how the Copernican School consists of guided meditation, an anthropological experiment (which essentially amounts to eavesdropping), auditing random and diverse college courses and also developing a theme for a practicum, for a year-long research project on a topic the students are to choose for and by themselves. But yes (and this is indeed my main, my primary textual and thematic complaint regarding Schooled), the Copernican School set-up as described and depicted by Jamie Sumner (via Lenny’s narration), while this is I guess kind of intriguing, well, the entire concept of and the premise for such a school is also highly unbelievable and as such unlikely from a reality point of consideration. For indeed, the rather complete lack of a formal curriculum, only very minimal adult supervision and almost no academic accountability being encountered in Schooled and that four grade sixers are auditing random university courses and doing a year long project that sounds like something graduate students would be doing, this all reads more like some type of educational fantasy and is as such also woefully lacking in concrete credibility. Thus and for sure, I personally speaking do not consider the Copernican School in Schooled as being something either appropriate or reasonable for students at the Middle School level (unless perhaps, Lenny Smyth and his classmates were all geniuses, but no, this is definitely not at all even remotely the case in Schooled).

So with Schooled, yes, I have really enjoyed Lenny Syms’ voice and also think that Jamie Sumner is delightfully adept at emotionally and descriptively capturing the roller coaster of feelings that is often typical of tweens, and with my inner middle grade reader also instantly emphasising with Lenny’s gut-wrenching grief about his mother’s death and totally understanding his immense frustration regarding how distant his father is being and becoming, how for Lenny’s father, how for Professor Benjamin Syms, grieving for his wife obviously means retreating (as well as also majorly comprehending and relating to Lenny’s angst about a new living situation, about having to relocate from New Jersey to Tennessee), not to mention that Sumner equally so has superb and in-depth characterisation throughout Schooled and not just for Lenny Syms, not just for the main protagonist but indeed for everyone (so that readers feel for not just Lenny and his father but also for Hen, David, Ally, Mak and VW and really get to know them).

But even though the general story for <>Schooled has been very enjoyable (albeit also often rather heartbreaking) and that Jamie Sumner’s textual setting of a big university provides for her readers a descriptive and realistic description and understanding of life on campus, sorry, but the entire Copernican School scenario is (and as mentioned above) simply too unbelievable and too unconvincing for me (and that therefore, my rating for Schooled simply cannot and will not be higher than three stars, well actually, three and a half stars but definitely so not yet quite four stars).

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge ran of Jamie Sumner and I've slowly been working my way through her bibliography. As with all authors, there are books that are bound to hits and books that will be misses. Unfortunately, this book didn't work as well for me as I anticipated, but it still was a solid read and exploration of grief shared by a parent and child.

Schooled follows 11 year old Lenny as his father moves him to a college campus to attend a alternative method based school with other students who have parents that are faculty and staff. Lenny is struggling with the loss of his mother and doesn't do well acclimating to the teaching methods of the professors. Though he does make friends, he isn't engaged in the process until he meets an older professor who, in some ways, becomes a friend/mentor.

Sumner did a great job illustrating the complicated ways in which grief can impact people. Though Lenny and his father lost the same person, the way in which they express their grief is vastly different and it impacts their relationship. It serves as the main catalyst for the their conflict. Unfortunately, outside of this element, I wasn't necessarily intrigued by the story and found it to be middle of the road. Outside of the premise, their wasn't necessarily anything that made it stand out especially when I think about some of my favorite books written by Sumner.

Overall, this was a solid read and I'll continue to make my way through Sumner's list of books.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, short, but powerful. Dealing with the loss of a parent and new school and classmates in an unconventional format. The kids move to a university although they are young for different reasons. The main character is there because his father is teaching at that college now. Not only they find a way to cope with the loss, but they also help others.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a bit of a reading slump I needed a quick win, and this really hit the mark for me. A few random thoughts:
- I loved how it referenced things I knew about, such as Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies, Scott McCloud's book Understanding Comics, and the musical Wicked.
- It made me want to go back to college and take a lit class again, specifically children's literature with Claudia Mills.
- I cried.
- I wish it was longer to go more into depth with Lenny, his classmates, grief, their projects, etc.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lenny and his dad move to a college campus after his mom dies. His dad is a Latin professor and an alumni of the college. Lenny attends a new type of school in the basement with other children of the faculty. He deals with trying to fit in with his new classmates, figuring out what he wants to study, and making new friends. All while also trying to figure out his new relationship with his dad without his mom around. True to Sumner's past works, she handles hard topics well. We follow Lenny as he deals with his grief and anger at losing his mom and finding his place. Great read!

[Almira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The loss of a loved one is hard for all involved.
Loss of a spouse can make the remaining parent unaware of the pain that the child is experiencing from the loss of their parent.

Lenny's mom has died, his dad decides to return to the university where he and his wife had positions, before Lenny's arrival. Lenny's dad is a professor of Latin, a dead language as far as Lenny is concerned.
He is "enrolled" in an experimental 6th grade class on the university campus, with a total of 5 students. Pretty much a no rules group.

Along the way, Lenny meets a professor who teaches "fairy tales" - a university level class, that Lenny is allowed to sit in on - then all of a sudden the professor "disappears". Lenny is off on his own to find his professor.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Grief is weird. You think it’s gone and then, bam, it hits you all over again."

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie Sumner has regaled readers with her trilogy of books featuring a wheelchair using girl who has cerebral palsy (Roll With It, Time to Roll, Rolling On), a book with a main character struggling to handle her anxiety, and more. Schooled features Lenny, a 12 year old who is faced with more change than he thinks he can handle-the death of his mother after her battle against cancer, moving from a comfortable house to a new state and a small apartment in a college dorm, and from a public school where he had a firmly established niche to an experimental, 5 student school housed on at the college where his parents graduated and his father now teaches. Most middle grade readers will have a hard time imagining a school in a basement with beanbags littered around the room, chalkboard painted walls, no desks and the freedom to choose their own year long study project and the ability to audit the college classes of their choice. Oh, and one day a week wander campus listening in on conversations and observing college kids doing their usual stuff and another day spent meditating and getting in touch with their feelings. Really? Yup, and that’s what Lenny says, too. So he decides that since his father doesn’t seem to care what he does anyway and seldom even talks to him, he’s just going to hide out and play video games, swim in the student rec center pool and eat whatever he wants from the Munchie Mart where all he has to do is scan his student ID and all is paid for by his father’s credit card. But Lenny didn’t count on becoming friends with the other 4 kids in his class, or meeting VW who actually makes his class on fairy tales extremely interesting and thought-provoking and he certainly didn’t expect to be caught vandalizing a campus building or coming face to face with his grief.

Sumner’s book is equal parts humor, puzzlement, and typical middle grade drama among friends and family. Lenny is, at times, mad at his dad and at others, yearning for him to talk to him. He is defiantly avoiding investing any real effort into allowing this weird school teach him anything but actually does find real inspiration in VW’s class. Hen, a red-headed vegan who becomes Lenny’s confidante and number one supporter, can’t seem to get her doctor parents to take her interest in alternative medicine seriously. Football and Alabama Crimson Tide-loving Mak has to get his father to understand his passion for banging heads together. Beautiful Ally wants to make the world an even more beautiful place and one would think that her theater-directly mother would be pleased, but that is not the case. David seems to be a pleaser-personality but maybe, with the right encouragement, he will be able to voice his hopes and dreams instead of just exceeding at everyone else’s goals for him. A diverse cast in race, interests and needs, but the Copernican School will be just the right place to bring them all together and help each of them learn something about themselves. While the loss of his mother is a primary factor in Lenny’s personal struggles, there are so many other other things going on with the five students that sadness and grief do not at all overwhelm the story and resolution for all five pre-teens is positive.

No profanity, sexual content or violence in Schooled. The vandalism the group does to the campus building does not go unpunished and while there are not any specific consequences for Lenny dodging school assignments outside of one skipped class for which he is grounded, he did learn valuable lessons. Recommended for grades 4-7, especially for collections having a significant readership in realistic fiction like Sumner’s other works, Gordon Korman, Elly Swartz, and Dusti Bowling.

Thanks for the eARC, NetGalley.

[Louis (audiobookfanatic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schooled is a heartfelt middle-grade coming-of-age story about grief, belonging, and new friendships. The story follows Lenny Syms, an eleven-year-old boy still grieving his mother’s death months earlier, who relocates with his father (a Latin professor) to a university campus. There, he joins the experimental sixth grade “Copernican School,” where students attend college lectures, meditate, conduct self-directed studies, and pursue solo end-of-year projects. Resistant to change, Lenny initially rebels but then slowly connects with other classmates and befriends a spirited professor with a fairy-tale class.

Lenny Syms is an emotionally complex, intelligent, and highly sensitive protagonist. Right from the start readers will recognize his sarcasm and wit that belie his age and make him very likeable and amusing. Mourning his mother and struggling to connect with his distant (and clueless) father, Lenny becomes very cynical about his new unconventional school and its eccentric parent-teachers. He quickly becomes detached and spends his days roaming the campus aimlessly—until he develops an unexpected friendship with an older professor, VW, whose lectures fascinate him.

The bond that forms between Lenny and VW is one of the highlights of the story. Their dialogue is heartfelt and compelling as they share their stories and experiences of grief. By the end, VW becomes a mentor figure who inspires Lenny to reconnect with his creativity and grief in transformative ways. Lenny also gradually opens up to his fellow classmates and gains much-needed acceptance and support. All of the parent/student side characters have vibrant, unique personalities that make the dialogue interesting, funny, and emotionally resonant!

The quirky “Copernican School” is a really unique backdrop for the story—its diverse, tightly knit group of personalities and family dynamics brilliantly mirror Lenny’s emotional journey. The unconventional school also poses thought‑provoking ideas about creative learning and institutional flexibility—not all readers will be on board with such an independent education approach for 6th graders, but it serves this story perfectly as a metaphor for finding one’s own path!

The writing is moving, poignant, and fresh. The story has some heavy themes of loss, grief, absent fatherhood, and miscommunication—but it’s all woven into a heartfelt and accessible story that is suitable for middle grade to adult readers. The story is well-paced throughout, and readers get a good glimpse into the major happenings of Lenny’s school year. His grief and gradual transformation all unfold in a very authentic and engaging manner—a true sign of great writing! After such a moving tale, the ending feels a bit rushed—there could have been a bit more detail on Lenny and his father’s resolution and the future of the quirky learning environment.

Overall, Schooled is a thoughtful, emotionally resonant take on middle‑grade grief, identity, and belonging. It’s an emotional story that will have readers tearing up, laughing, intrigued, and feeling hopeful—all while giving an insight into complex family and friendship dynamics. Readers who enjoy character‑driven, coming-of-age stories with heart will really enjoy this book!

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Gordon Korman and Elly Swartz will love this MG book.
🏫
Lenny and his dad are having a fresh start at a new school. Lenny’s dad will be teaching at a local college and Lenny, eleven-years-old, will also be matriculating there. As part of a new program where kids are taught by professors and spend more time meditating and discussing deep thoughts than taking gym or math. When Lenny meets one of the campus professors he forms a kinship with the man only to find out they both have something in common.
🏫
What a great middlegrade novel by one of my faves @jamiesumner_author This title covers several themes such as grief and loss, new school and friendships and a strained parent relationship. It’s out now!

CW: theft, vandalism, parental death (recounted), grief, death of a spouse (recounted)

I wanted more depth. I never truly connected with the characters but I felt like the relationship between Lenny and VW could have had more page time.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Report: Schooled

At First Glance: Such a fun cover!!!

The Gist: New schools, unexpected friendships, and overcoming loss.

My Thoughts: As a longtime Jamie Sumner fan…Schooled did not disappoint! The college campus setting was such a unique twist 🎓and I couldn’t imagine being a middle schooler in that world. The characters felt so real and their journey through grief and wanting to belong hit me right in the heart 💔🤍Beautifully written…heartfelt and full of hope 🌟

My question for Jamie: Will we see any of these characters again in future books? 👀

Thank you Simon Kids & Simon Audio for the gifted ALC

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenny isn't exactly thrilled to be living on a college campus with his Latin-professor father in the wake of his mother's death. He's to attend a very self-guided school on campus and learn using the resources all around him. But this comes grinding to a halt when Lenny's dad pushes him to be more responsible because no one just tells Lenny what to do.

This book definitely is about grief and education and community. It feels a little all over the place, though, without a clear plot. I don't mind, but I'm not sure how I feel in the end.

[Flannery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had a lot of potential to be good, but just...fell short in a lot of ways, mostly its ending SO abruptly.
Also the Latin professor dad kept forgetting that "carpe" takes the accusative case. That's first year level Latin right there.

[Sab Ay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lenny and his Latin professor father have moved from their home in New Jersey to Arrington University, where they will be living in student housing, since his mother passed away after battling skin cancer. His father, along with three other parents who work for the university in various capacities, have decided to work together to homeschool their children while incorporating the university resources. Fellow students include Hen, who likes to cleanse auras, Makai, who loves football and is especially interested in the Alabama team, Allison, who is interested in cosmetology, and David, who is interested in engineering. The Copernican "school" schedule is as follows: Mondays are for self care, Tuesdays are for auditing classes, Wednesdays are devoted to social integration, Thursdays to researching a project, and Fridays to visiting the library. The philosophy is that knowledge shouldn't just be handed to students, they need to find it for themselves. As the school year progresses, Lenny meets Vereen Winters (VW), a 76 year old literature professor whose wife also passed away in the past year. The two have a lot of interesting conversations about literature, including one about the Egyptian deity Anubis. VW also gives Lenny his personal copy of McCloud's Understanding Comics. This leads Lenny to make his special project a comic book involving Anubis and talking about processing grief that his father does NOT like at first. When VW doesn't show up for classes for several days, and Lenny is afraid he is being fired, Lenny and his classmates make some ill considered protests to try to save him. Will the Copernican 6th grade class graduate?
Strengths: This was an interesting premise, and I would have loved to hang out on a college campus virtually when I was in 6th grade. It's an interesting look at collaborative home schooling with children who have access to all that a college has to offer. Lenny and the other students generally get along, and Lenny's relationship with VW was charming. Since Scott McCloud and Raina Telgemeier have a new book out, The Cartoonists Club, name dropping this influential graphic novel artist will resonate with young readers. The cover is charming.
Weaknesses: I have many friends who wanted to be Latin or Classics professors, but even 30-40 years ago, there were no jobs. If Lenny's father thinks that "carpe cuppa" or "carpe syllabus" are proper Latin (both nouns should have accusative endings), I doubt very much he would get hired anywhere. Also, there are plenty of middle grade books dealing with the death of a parent.
What I really think: This might be a good choice for readers who enjoyed hanging out on college campuses in Parks' The Summer of Brave or Wang's The Summer of Squee. I don't think that I have readers for this one, although Sumner's work is usually popular.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of heart in this little book. I found myself really wanting Lenny to be okay and grieve for his mom. I enjoyed the cast of characters, and was invested in their school year.

There are some moments that simply don't make sense. Lenny's dads reaction to his mother's stuff. His reaction to his comic book. Most of the subplot with VW was cute, but didn't really do anything to drive the story. Lenny jumped to a huge conclusion in assuming VW was going to be fired, and if looking up an address and phone was that easy, probably should have started there. The entire plot fizzled without any real stakes. His relationship with VW worked, it just needed more time to develop. Lenny says he is the best lecturer and smartest person on campus, but we really don't see that.

They can call it whatever they want, but the families formed a homeschool group. It was a homeschool coop, which really went to show just how powerful and better they are than any public school setting. It was nice seeing an honest look at public school and homeschool.

I wanted more with David, that kid seemed to have it tough.

There are a couple of moments that had me shaking my head. We talk about finding "your truth," there is talk of Anubis and ancient culture's myths, but no talk of Christ, heaven, or hell. There is no substantial healing to be found here. There is no search for objective truth, search for reality, and search for the healing that comes from a relationship with God. Hen is also a hippy, so she discusses auras and veganism. Not a big deal.

No relationship stuff. The closest is Lenny and Hen, but it never goes beyond hand holding at the very end.

The thing is also dated, the references are about 10 years old now. Not a big deal, but it is obvious.

I thought this book was fun, and really enjoyed my time here. I would read more of this.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It confirmed the values that will always run through my stories: kids are brave; humor can save you; support systems are everywhere if you open yourself to them. ~ Jamie Sumner (Acknowlegments)

Five sixth graders participate in a school experiment called Copernican School on a college campus. Monday is Therapy Day. Tuesday is Audit Day. Wednesday is Anthropology Day. Thursday is Practicum Day. Friday is Library Day.

My star rating reflects some things I loved about this book:

📔The cover in the palette of Autumn really makes it feel like it's Back to School time. The release date of August 26, 2025 is ideal calendar timing, too.
🧑‍🍼Our main character Lenny is dealing with the loss of his mother. His Latin professor Dad moves them to the college campus where their story began. Love the symmetry and the exploration of grief.
😋Did you know October 13 is National M&M Day? That day is also Lenny's birthday and his late mother did a fabulous job of tying the two together. I want to celebrate that way! What is your favorite M&M? Currently I am a big fan of the peanut M&M.
📚Each of the Copernican students labors over a Practicum project all school year. Their projects reflect their gifts and I loved watching them make progress.

This was a delightful read and a reminder for all of us of the need to support each other as we grieve and deal with transitions. Hey, there my books go talking to each other again. Similar lessons were learned in Good Grief.

Thank you to Atheneum Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lenny is starting 6th grade at a new school. His mother has recently passed and his dad has taken a job teaching Latin at a college so they've moved from New Jersey to Tennessee. Along with 4 other children his age, all kids of college professors, Lenny is enrolled in The Copernicus school were his education is primarily self discovery, meditation, observing campus life and auditing college classes. Lenny and his dad are grieving for his mom in different ways and are not getting along. He doesn't want to be part of anything, his dad, this school, or Tennessee.

Schooled is a bit different from Sumner's usual writing. It took me a bit to get into, and it was an adult connection rather than one kids would gravitate to. Lenny meets a professor on campus who invites him to audit his Fairy Tales class (but then the content of the class is more Mythology). Lenny is stuck unable to grieve his mother's death because his dad is in denial? can't manage his own feelings? unable to see Lenny's needs? What I really think - it's sad and readers picking it may be disappointed it's not like her other books.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from the publisher.

Lenny's mom passed away last year, and now his professor father has moved them to a college campus, where Lenny will be joining a few other sixth graders in an experimental school. He isn't super excited about it, but there is one professor, VW, whose class Lenny likes to sit in on. When VW doesn't show, Lenny starts to worry.

Lenny was a likeable kid, even if there were some moments where I felt really bad for his father, too. Each of the kids in his "school" had their own things going on, although they were a bit subtle, most focusing on how the kids clashed against their parents' expectations and beliefs in different ways than Lenny clashed with his own dad. The moments when Lenny found parental energy in others was really heartwarming. For me, reading about a kid on a college campus brought me back to my own college years and that sudden freedom from parents - and also made it easy to imagine how that same freedom would feel for a much younger kid. Overall this was a solid story full of interesting characters.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
As Lenny and his father deal with their fresh grief at losing Lenny's mom to cancer, they embark on a new adventure at a college campus. Lenny is part of an experimental school called the Copernican school - along with 4 other faculty kids. They're all trying to figure out their place in the universe while participating in this weird schooling experiment that has them complete a practicum and audit college classes. Lenny just wants to have things return to normal and this is as far from normal as it gets. When he protests by doing the bare minimum, he finds at least one class and professor that interests him, VW - but when something happens to his favorite academic, Lenny is forced to make a choice.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

this author always writes emotionally realistic books and this one is no exception. nice group of secondary characters. lenny is fiercely independent and even though he didn't feel like he could be honest with his dad, he did find professor winters. the book presents an interesting concept for school, which some of the characters like and others do not. this unique type of schooling allows the plot to proceed in a unique way.

[Bre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled to get into this book, but the ending 😭 this story is a beautiful picture of the hidden and shared grief we carry and offers a version of what life is like after. I enjoyed the characters, the premise, the stories with his mom, and seeing where it all landed.

[Jennifer Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It follows Lenny as he adjusts to life after his mother’s passing and starts fresh at a new school on a college campus. The friendships he forms play a big role in helping him and his father heal. A funny, touching, and easy-to-read book.

[Emily Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Very well done. I wish the kids weren't in 6th grade and just in middle school but oh well... Can't win them all.
loss of a parent
friends
college
cancer
working together
alternate school

[Mary Beth MacLeay · Rating 5 out of 5]

for some reason there has been a plethora of books about grief this last year. This one is outstanding. Really good.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Schooled by Jamie Sumner

Grief & loss depiction
Death of a mother from skin cancer recounted

[Kari]

This was just ok

[L Herrmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

After his mother's death, he goes to middle school that is on a college campus where his dad teaches. He meets other weird kids with parental conflicts and tries to figure out himself.

[Hope Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Sumner delivers again - she is quickly becoming one of my favorite middle grades realistic fiction authors.

The tragic loss of Lenny's mother has sent both him and his college professor father into a tailspin with neither knowing what to do next or with each other. In an effort to deal with the crushing grief, Lenny's dad chose to move them to the college campus where he teaches and signs him up for a college sponsored home/charter school program. Taught by the parents of the children attending, the schools sends the children on a semester long learning project that is atypical of a regular school program. Lenny finds ways to be left alone, but he soon realizes that even though that is what he thinks he wants, the isolation is adding to his grief instead of healing it. Diverse group of students, each with a unique set of problems, this is a wonderful "books as windows-mirrors-doors" title. I hope to see it on many state reading award lists for upper elementary/middle school students.

Read likes include titles from Andrew Clements, Gordon Norman, and Stuart Gibbs Fun Jungle series,