Unplugged by Gordon Korman is a juvenile fiction novel for 4-6th graders.
Jett Baranov is the son of a super-rich, tech billionaire, who always gets what he wants. That is, until his father drops him off at a wellness camp called the Oasis, in Little Rock, Arkansas. No technology, no meat, only glutton free, clean eating and “wholesome” activities.
At the Oasis, Jett meets Grace, who is all about “Being Whole,” Tyrell, who's allergic to everything, and Brooklyn, a girl with a secret. The four are bonded together through a mysterious lizard they found and are taking care of. But the Oasis is more than it seems, and Jett is convinced something isn’t right.
Can Jett survive the “unplugged” life for the summer? Could you?
As with all of Korman's book, this was a quick and entertaining read that everyone would enjoy. Even though I expected a lot more focus on the "unplugged" lifestyle, there are a lot of really good discussion questions one can pull out of this story and put into a lesson plan.
I think a big part of this story, though, is learning to grown and becoming comfortable in your own shoes. Jett especially does a lot of growing throughout this book, as does Grace, Brooklyn and Tyrell.
Ultimately, this is a book about friendship, with a little selfcare, healthy living thrown in. This book gets the lower end of four stars from me.
That's all for now!
-M-