As a teacher, I love the premise of a sort of experimental middle school on a college campus. It’s an interesting idea! For Lenny, though, it’s not at all what he wants. He’s dealing with some pretty big grief from his mother’s death, and his father’s distance. It doesn’t help that many of the professors on campus remember his mother—it’s where she and his father went to school.

Each of the children involved in the school is dealing with some personal issues regarding parental expectations, and they eventually grow together and help each other.

Lenny’s relationship with VW, a professor, is a sweet moment, and his concern for VW near the end of the book is very touching.

Eventually, Lenny comes to accept his new life, and he and his father are able to reconnect and, to a degree, work through their grief.

Although the story focuses on Lenny, the other students, colorful instructors, and side characters are interesting, not just cardboard cutouts filling space.

Possible objectionable material:
Mention of the “f-word”. One character is kind of new-agey, burning sage, talking about crystals, etc. Mention of a very religious family that doesn’t allow their child to read Harry Potter. Mention of witches and beheading (in the context of fairy tales). Death of a parent and spouse (before the story starts). Two middle schoolers hold hands. Skipping school.

Who might like this book:
This is a fun story with many different types of kids. Anyone who is interested in an unconventional school.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#NetGalley #BookReview #Biblioquacious #JamieSumner #MiddleGrades #Schooled

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/08/back-to-school.html

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Lenny, a middle schooler who recently lost his mom. His dad is a teacher who is moving to a new school that is like college but for middle schoolers. We follow Lenny as he goes to a new school and navigates grief.

This was a powerful story about grief and other issues that kids deal with. I liked all of the characters and everyone was going through something. I liked the different friendships and relationships that were explored as well. I found the writing to be engaging and well-written.

I did find the premise to be a bit unrealistic but overall, kids will enjoy it. I would recommend!

It's been several months since Lenny lost his mother to cancer, and he and his dad have relocated to Arrington University, where his dad teaches Latin. They'll be living on campus and Lenny will be joining a progressive program for middle-school students of several college professors in which the sixth-graders will audit college classes and pursue their own educational and professional interests. Lenny and his four classmates are each well-drawn and likable, and their relationships, particularly Lenny's friendship with Hen and his connection to an aging literature professor named VW, are a strength of the novel. Sumner also explores grief and family dynamics in a tender, authentic manner. Unfortunately, while the college setting provides autonomy for the core characters and may appeal to a middle-grade audience, the basic premise feels like a bit of a stretch; if readers can overlook that and suspend their disbelief, however, they're likely to enjoy this affecting tale.

I rarely have such a mixed reaction to a well-written book. Schooled has charm, and the grief plotline is emotionally intense and logically consistent. I would give it 3.5 stars if the half star metric was an option.

I struggle with portions of the plotline and their logic. The basic premise (that college professors, doctors, white-collar professionals, many of whom seem invested in achievement and societal expectations, would enroll their 11-year-olds into a self-guided college campus unschooling experience) doesn't work very well for me as a parent. Out of the five children and their parents who make up the Copernican School, I can see Lenny's dad opting into the Copernican School because of expediency, Ally's mom because of being nonconventional, and Hen explains why her parents opted in (also expediency). The other parents mystify me. Everything about the Copernican School seems kind of ramshackle and half-assed, and I just don't see it as being a top choice for a parent. I also wonder whether college professors in general would be okay with random sixth graders auditing their classes. Additionally, I have an issue with the amount of willingness professors and college students exhibit to be involved in the semester projects--it's not believable to me. Overall, there's a suspension of disbelief issue, partially because I expect realistic fiction to be kind of realistic.

Maybe the target audience (middle grade kids) would not get hung up on the plausibility issues like I did. They might just look at Schooled and be intrigued--swapping math worksheets for self-guided studies (or opting out of studies) has an appeal!

The grief plotline, and the tension between Lenny and his dad as their differing ways of dealing with grief spark conflict, add a ton of appeal and impact to the book. It seems like the greatest value a kid could extract from the narrative of Lenny's fraught relationship with his dad is that sometimes adults are just humans doing the best job they can. Lenny's dad kind of sucks as a dad because he's hurting too much to parent effectively. By the end of the book, he is concretely resolving to do better--tackle his own grief, and be there for his kid.

Ultimately, even though I have issues with Schooled that stem from struggling to take off my parent glasses and adult perspective, I think that middle grade readers might not have those issues. And for all the parents reading reviews--maybe reading Schooled will help your kid see your humanity, even and especially when you're falling short.

This was so well written and enjoyed the realistic topic in this universe. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and how the overall feel worked in life and the school environment. I was glad I was able to read this book and thought the overall story was relatable and glad I read this. Jamie Sumner has a strong writing style and was glad I read this.

_ I loved this book about an eclectic group of friends, a mourning father and son, and a quirky professor who all help each other. It gives a nod to the healing power of storytelling, comics, and journaling.

Schooled is about a middle schooler named Lenny. His mom passed away and his professor dad moved them to a new college campus where they’ve created a new school for middle schoolers. One that is set up to teach them to look outside themselves. Lenny is dealing with the grief of losing his mom and a strained relationship with his dad.

This book is very enjoyable and anybody dealing with grief will relate to it and find it a helpful read.

I'm not sure how Jamie Sumner keeps creating these amazing stories! I read Please Pay Attention earlier this year, and was absolutely blown away. So when I saw she had another book coming out, I was excited! This book was definitely lighter than Please Pay Attention, but it still had some serious themes. Lenny is trying to process and grieve the death of his mom when his dad moves him into a college apartment, and sends him to school in the philosophy building. This new "Copernican" school consists of Lenny and four other students, and the curriculum is almost all driven by each individual student. Lenny spends the first semester avoiding class and school work as much as possible after an argument with his dad (who also happens to teach at the college.) With the help of his friends, teachers (professors), and some time and learning, Lenny is able to really start to grieve the loss of his mother and mend his relationship with his dad. Although grief is a strong theme in this story, the adventures and characters help to lighten the story. I think readers will find enjoyment in the story of Lenny and The Copernican School.

I had a hard time with this one. Aside from my utter dislike of Lenny's father, I didn't quite buy the setup of this weird "progressive" school, where 12-year-olds sit in on college courses with little instruction. I would have loved a self-led approach to learning at any age, but this was a little too unstructured and bizarre for me to take seriously.

At first glance, Schooled is about Lenny and 4 other students starting 6th grade in a very non-traditional school model on a university campus. However, Schooled is more about how Lenny is dealing with his grief after his mother's death. It's definitely a grief-centered story so this one will take some careful hand-selling lest my students think they are gettting a Korman-style crazy school story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atheneum for the digital ARC.

I love Jamie Sumner. Her style of writing and the heart of her stories drags you in and wont let you go in the very best way. Her characters are easy to identify with and I found myself falling in love with them quickly. The idea for the school is unique and fun to envision. The loss the main character and his father feel and even some of the side characters is palpable and beautiful. How they come together by the end is beautiful to see. Can't wait to see what she has for us next!

I really liked Lenny and being with him along his journey to find where he belongs in his new normal.
Lenny has moved on campus with his dad who is a professor, after his mom's death. Along with a few other kids they take classes, but it's different than being at a real school.
He finds a professor who he really likes and reminds him of things his mom liked. He loses his way, but seems to find his way back when someone he cares about needs help.
This is a beautiful look at grief and change and how it can affect you and the ones you love. Any kid dealing with finding a place to belong will relate to these characters.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun kids book and will be a great summer read.

I enjoyed Jamie Sumner’s Schooled and the whole host of characters at the Copernican School! I think this will be a good read for the kid who feels like school as it is might be a waste of time, a kid going through loss, or a kid finding themself.

Another great book by Jamie Sumner about friendships, loss, bravery, support, and a lot of laughing. Lenny is attending Copernican School with four other students at the university where dad is a professor. The instructor, Paulo, wants the students to create their own school where they will become their best selves. They can audit classes, go to the library, go to group therapy, and journal. They have to come up with an end-of-the-year project. One day while walking Lenny meets VW, a professor of fairy tales. Lenny goes to his class and likes it, but Lenny thinks of his mom who died and decides to skip classes. He goes to the storage shed where mom’s things are which helps with his grief. When VW stops appearing in class, Lenny hears the university might want to fire VW. Is this true? Lenny comes up with a plan and asks the other students to help. They agree. What happens next?
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

After his mother's death, Lenny's Latin professor father takes him to live on a college campus. Lenny starts his sixth grade year in an experimental school where he and his classmates have the freedoms and responsibilities of college students.

This is a novel premise and an interesting and unconventional take on a school story. Sumner is fantastic at infusing humor into serious topics like grief. The novel is fun, but unfortunately it felt a little rushed. I wish the second half was a little longer and more fleshed out.

4 stars

Jamie Sumner always delivers, and this newest middle grade effort is no exception.

Lenny is 11, and he is going through big changes. After his mother's death six months ago, he's faced with grief, of course, and he is also now more reliant on his father, who is a professor and who is not great at communicating his feelings. Thanks to a new job opportunity, Lenny's dad is moving them into a whole new life, making the loss of Lenny's mom even more apparent and profound. Fortunately, Lenny finds a charming community of peers and an unexpected champion (and a person whom he can champion) in this new environment. Sadness, it turns out, is not without hope.

I'm always amazed by how much emotion Sumner elicits from these quick texts, especially considering the audience. Lenny is a developed character whose pain is palpable. Readers who have experienced a loss will connect with the ways that grief hits him over and over again. He'll be an excellent mirror for those who can sadly empathize, and he'll be a vital window for folks whose loved ones are experiencing losses.

This book will make you sad, but you will enjoy it and find so much value in it despite the heartbreak. This is another winner from a proven author.

This was a sweet and sometimes sad story about a middle school student, Lenny, who struggles to connect with his father after the death of his mother the year before from cancer. At one point Lenny notes that because his father has struggled so much with his own grief, and because the nature of their relationship before his mother's death was already fairly distant anyway, it feels like he has lost both parents. This touched me profoundly. While I am much older than Lenny I have spent the past three years since my mother's death trying to find a new normal with my father despite his grief, my grief, and his weird dad-ness. The story itself was fine, kind and sweet like Sumner's works generally are, but I particularly appreciated finding a character experiencing what I did and am still experiencing.