People often ask why I wrote a book with a male MC, and I usually have a garbled answer, something along the lines of “Um, that’s the story that came out”, and that’s true. But I do think that at its heart, 8th GRADE SUPERZERO is a sort of ‘school story’, and I’ve always adored those. The camaraderie, competition, self-discovery…that ‘midnight feast’/secret club element that always seemed to appear, the children’s world-unto-itself all just delighted and intrigued me to no end. In my reading life, the traditional British boarding school books, and classic stories from Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, and Louisa May Alcott were early favourites; later, books by Lois Duncan, Ellen Conford, Rosa Guy, and Paula Danziger brought new and compelling twists to the genre, as do authors like Jacqueline Woodson, David Lubar, Louis Sachar, Gordon Korman, Michael Northrop,and Rita Williams-Garcia (that school in JUMPED comes completely alive). There are countless others — authors and illustrators who ‘get’ the spirit of the school story are found in books for children of all ages; in the world of picture books, there are the Miss Bindergarten books, Mo Willems’ EDWINA, THE DINOSAUR WHO DIDN’T KNOW SHE WAS EXTINCT, and Audrey Vernick’s forthcoming IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?, to name just a few.

Sometimes hilarious, occasionally heart-breaking, the school story gives me that same hope and slightly queasy anticipation that I felt on the first day of school. And I always want to know what happens next.

“I love all the DEL RIO BAY CLIQUE Books by Paula Chase Hyman…Paula does such a good job of describing high school life, Del Rio Bay could have easily been my high school. Her characters are so believable, I have friends a lot like all the members of the Clique. The book is funny and it teaches lessons, but it’s not preachy. You don’t even realize right away that you learned something, you just think: I loved this book/series!

SKIN I’M IN by Sharon G. Flake is a really good MG read. It’s sad and powerful. Deals with bullies and being ashamed of one’s skin (especially the issue of people wishing they were lighter, which is a story that needs to be told).

- Ari, book reviewer and blogger at READING IN COLOR

“When I was a child my favorite “school story” was actually a movie. The Trouble With Angels starring Hayley Mills. I was fascinated by the concept of a girl – a fish out of water – attending a boarding school and discovering that surface appearances didn’t tell the whole story. That and the fact that she had a best friend/partner in crime with which to terrorize the nuns and the Mother Superior. But what stuck with me was the ending – that the defiant, rebel rousing main character blossomed and came into her own and made a decision to join the Novitiate after graduation. I didn’t see it coming and because I didn’t, it made the ending more powerful. I was ready to sign up right then and there – and I wasn’t even Catholic.

Little did I know that years later, I’d be enrolled at Phillips Exeter Academy – a New England boarding school filled with similar adventures, two partners in crime and students from all over the world. I pulled equally wacky stunts, managed to avoid the usual punitive consequences, and had a blast – much to the consternation of the administration. In the end – I left a bit more mature than I went in and it has stuck with me all those years. Those years cemented my love of reading and writing. How could it not? Its graduates include Dan Brown, John Irving, Gore Vidal and Peter Benchley to name a few. I relived those memories when my daughter attended a summer program there last year. The smells, the joys, and the realization that if I had it to do all over again – I’d do it in a heartbeat. Only I’d be more like my daughter. She followed the rules meticulously and wreaked much less chaos as a result! Or maybe not – being the villain is a lot more fun!”

-Christine Taylor-Butler, author of SACRED MOUNTAIN, EVEREST

Do you have a longtime or recent ‘school story’ favourite? Was there one that had a huge impact on your life? I’m always looking for a good one — recommend it in the comments below.

About The Author

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the daughter of a Jamaican mother and Nigerian father, and married to a man of Croatian descent. So, that’s what’s up with the name. She’s worked as a freelance writer and contributing editor at various magazines, and has developed educational materials geared to educators and students. Olugbemisola has worked extensively in youth development, at community organizations and New York City schools. She was twice awarded a public service fellowship by the Echoing Green foundation to work on a creative arts and literacy project with adolescent girls. She received her M.A. in Educational Communication and Technology, with a concentration in Adolescent Literacy and English Education, her B.Sc. from Cornell University, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. “I spent a number of my younger years in different communities across the globe. I attended public, private,’international’, and religious schools. These experiences have had lasting benefits as I was exposed to many languages, traditions, customs – new and thrilling worlds. And each move brought with it both an opportunity and a struggle surrounding identity, which is a recurring theme in my work.” She lives in New York City where she is also an enthusiastic if not particularly skilled crafter.  Read more about Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.

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