I really liked this one! Dexter is a great main character and had me rooting for him the whole time. I love his growth and how he navigated a "new world".

I absolutely adored this title and can't wait to recommend it to our middle-school librarian. There was so much to love - intergenerational relationships, a sweetheart of a kid, and lots of love. It was a wonderful read and it would make a fabulous book club pick for the 'tweens!

“Along with Grandma Adele, they’re raising me together, even though a retirement community isn’t the average place for a kid to grow up.”
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Dexter Foreman is a kid who acts like an octogenarian because he grew up in a retirement community with his grandmother while his parents work abroad. When the local police find out he’s being homeschooled in an unofficial capacity by all the retirees, he’s forced to go to public school for the first time. Talk about culture shock! Dexter sticks out due to his grandpa wardrobe, the way he talks, his ability to fix just about anything and how far ahead he is in all his subjects. When Dexter is using his Swiss Army Knife to fix things around the broken school, he gets suspended for their zero tolerance policy against weapons in school. As his classmates rally around Dexter he wonders if maybe he likes school more than he thought.
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This was such a heartwarming book! I adored Dexter’s personality and love that he learned so much from the older generation. I wish more kids adopted some of the traits Dexter has. The bittersweet ending was perfect for this title and I’d love to see more from middle grade authors utilizing grandparents in a story. Fans of Attack of the Black Rectangles and Let It Glow will enjoy this humorous, yet poignant tale as well.

CW: death, ageism, bullying

Korman has done it again with his usual humor and reflection. The multiple points of view that the story is told from really help to put a spin on why certain characters behave the way they do.

Dex is a wonderful character, placed in an intriguing situation being the only resident living in a senior living community under the age of 60. The fact that he is also homeschooled by the residents and his best friend is 99 years old, help to make his outlook on the world very different from typical kids his age.

I will definitely be recommending to my students who are looking for a funny and heart-warming read.

Des has grown up in a retirement village. His grandmother and the residents have been homeschooling him but it turns out that his grandma fudged some paperwork, so he is discovered and forced to attend the local middle school. Dex has not been around many kids his age, with his best friend being a 99-year-old WWII code breaker. One can easily imagine how hard the adjustment to middle school is for both him and his peers. When he gets suspended for trying to be helpful, it will either unite or break the community.

Gordon Kerman is a brilliant author with great ideas. The interactions between characters are mostly delightful. It does read a bit adult just in terms of understanding some of the things that Dex has learned from the retirement community.

This would make an amazing read aloud in a classroom setting. I think it is a great addition to any collection. I have a few kiddos I plan on recommending it to but I can also see how adults may enjoy it too!

The audiobook was especially delightful. With the variety of narrators matching the character perspectives in the novel, I would recommend a group listen!

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins, and Harper Audio Children’s books for the DLC! All opinions are my own!