[Raymond Jardine]

"Nobody hates camp more than Rudy Miller does!," as the teaser tells us on the cover of an early edition of I WANT TO GO HOME.

Well, nobody loves book clubs more than Kormaniacs!

So, let's talk all things Camp Algonkian Island and find out why I WANT TO GO HOME is one of GRK's all-time best-sellers.

=THE RULES=

• We'll cover one chapter a day starting Saturday, 19 October.
• It's fair game to discuss all previous chapters each day, but please don't spoil anyone's read by revealing what happens in later chapters.
• Check in whenever you're able. Daily posts are a good way to keep the conversation flowing, but if your schedule allows once a week or some other frequency, please jump in when you can.
• We'll finish the 14th chapter on Friday, 01 November, then conclude with a couple of days of overall discussion topics. 
• We're all here to have fun and celebrate a favorite book amongst friends. So be nice!  

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 1: CABIN 13

• Mr. and Mrs. Miller's letter warning Mr. Warden about their son's attitude reminds me of Mrs. Geller's comments to Dennis and her entreaty that "You will watch him very closely, won't you?" in NO COINS, PLEASE!


• Rudy's response to being told he's in Cabin 13 is to repeat the number "thirteen" and comment, "Marvellous."


• First, I'll note Scholastic didn't change the spelling in my U.S.-printed book (I'd expect "Marvelous." south of the Canada-U.S. border). Same for "counsellor" (vs. "counselor") later in the chapter. 


• And more importantly, is Rudy indicating some kind of anti-13 superstition? He also objects to "table 13" in the mess hall scene. Other Korman characters in other books are triskaidekaphobes.


• Rudy determines counselors Dave and Chip are clones. Wonder if they were part of Project Osiris?  😉  (If you aren't familiar with the reference, check out the Masterminds trilogy! (link))


• This chapter introduces a lot of characters. Camp director Arthur Warden (and the spirit of his grandfather, Elias Warden). Rudy Miller (and his parents via their letter to Mr. Warden). Frank, the head counselor. Dave, the swimming coach. Chip, the Cabin 13 bunk counselor. Mike Webster, another apprehensive camper. And fellow Cabin 13 campers Harold Greene, who thinks Rudy is "a nut," and Joey Peters, who seems to side with Harold.

As someone who did the camp thing when I was young, I can see and hear and smell just what Rudy was experiencing at Camp Algonkian. The beef stew sounds dreadful. Any other book clubbers have firsthand camp memories?

If you're reading I WANT TO GO HOME for the first time: What are your first impressions of Rudy and the other characters? Also, is this your first "early" Korman book? 

If you're reading I WANT TO GO HOME for the millionth time: Did the first chapter bring any surprises? For me, it's been several years since I've read it. I'd forgotten that Mike is a guitar player. 

================
* * * HBD, Asher! * * *
================

[Jade]

Hi guys! Happy birthday, Asher! Sorry to say I haven’t gotten the book yet. I’ve been trying to find an ebook to buy but it’s not working… spare me three days and I can get the physical copy and contribute. IM SO SORRY!!!!!!

 

Be blessed,

Jade

[Jade]

Excellent news guys! I found the first chapter online for free! I'm pretty sure it's legal, since it's provided by Scholastic. And I think it's the whole first chapter.

Let's just say that Rudy is hilarious. Or should I say anonymous. I love how he just took the counselor's room. The Band-Aid DND sign? Please. The boys are taking the sign seriously! Rudy took all of Mike's sheets! Guys, what is a nut?! "What's this material?" 

• Rudy's funny, and he doesn't want to be there. Mike doesn't want to be there either, but he's at least pretending to put in an ounce of effort.


• Rudy's also pretty hardcore, with his Band-Aid sign and ditching dinner.


• I love the contrast between Chip and Rudy! Chip is very chipper, but he's not against punishing Rudy. Too bad the punishment is what Rudy aspires to. Sitting in the dorm all day.


• I like how it switches perspectives!


• Does Harold think much else other than "he's a nut"? Lol!


• I like how the counselors are peppy and twins. I wonder if Rudy thinks of Chip as "Chip" or "Clone." Or was it Dave? Thing 1 & Thing 2.


• I like how Mike is super smart, and if this is his reward for making good grades, he'd be disowned for making bad ones. Nice character variety. Oh, and he's no good at sports!


• I wonder what Rudy's good at! Other than wanting to go home, LOL.

 

So glad I could find the first chapter online. Cheers!

@ Raymond: I thought of MASTERMINDS too! First impressions? Rudy is cool, but he might become a nuisance. Hopefully a funny one. I like Mike, but don't know too much about him. The majority of the population actually wants to be at camp. And no, I've never been to camp. Specifically stowaway camp. In a month and a half I'm seventeen years old and I still won't be able to say that I've been to that kind of camp! I have been on some outdoorsy adventures with subpar food, so I can imagine the "material" a little bit. LOL! Lucky y'all! 

 

Be blessed,

Jade

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 2: IN THE GARBAGE

• Algonkian becomes Alcatraz! The whole "prison" theme of the chapter is a riot.


• Anyone else think of Don Carey High School becoming Don't Care High? Or Claverage Middle School becoming C-Average?


• Rudy and Mike's truce! Their budding friendship is so cool to track as Mike is clearly in awe of Rudy's ability to get away with so much insubordination.


• And, of course, Mike is also an innocent bystander caught up in the destructively hilarious path of Rudy's biting and witty observations. To be fair, who wouldn't get the giggles while listening to Rudy's sotto voce "responses" to The Warden's first-day-of-camp address?!?


• @Marlo: "Mike looked hopelessly at the evening sky as if for a sign." is not really an Easter egg, but the exasperated fatalism of a Kormanian character beseeching the universe does show up again in future GRK heroes—Raymond Jardine being maybe the most noteworthy example. GRK even dedicated A SEMESTER IN THE LIFE OF A GARBAGE BAG in part: "For anyone who has ever turned his eyes skyward in grievous complaint."


• Anyone else get the feeling Rudy is only half joking when he says of setting fire to The Warden's house, "That would be a fire I could sing around!"?


• If anyone can pull off a man-made natural disaster, my money's on Rudy Miller.

I didn't say it yesterday, but I think this is one of the most relentlessly funny books I've ever encountered. GRK clearly set a goal of at least one laugh per page. And the overall average is more than that. There are gags with long setups, there are recurring absurdities, there are wordplays and eccentricities and all other manner of humor on display. I've heard a few fellow fans say Gordon Korman books shaped their sense of humor, and that they've "borrowed" lines from these books in everyday conversations. For sure, I WANT TO GO HOME has a slew of quoteworthy lines.

@Jade: Yay! I knew you would make it work somehow. Good observations on Rudy and how he walks the line between funny and nuisance. I think I know how Chip would evaluate him! I can't wait to hear your ongoing thoughts about character voice/perspective through the book. This is such an early Korman title--you mentioned you'll be 17 soon, and I think that's about the same age GRK was when he wrote IWTGH--that it's like we're delving into a workshop on the development of author style.

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 3: DEAR MOM AND DAD 

• Rudy refuses to lie to Chip about being responsible for the slop in Harold's sneakers. This uncompromising integrity is a hallmark of many GRK mischief-makers: They break a lot of rules while troublemaking, but they are principled about honesty...


• ... except when they're telling tall tales, like Rudy does in his letter home to his parents. "... but don't worry. Only one guy got killed." Best camp letter ever!


• Rudy is quick to nix the dam and move on to scheming a nautical escape. But: Enter the beaver!


• Chip appears to be haunted by not knowing what Rudy and Mike were doing while they weren't in arts and crafts all day. I see a bit of NO COINS, PLEASE's Rob Nevin in Chip's anxiety about his charges.

[Marlo]

@Raymond

 Mitchell, from The Fort, has trikadeskaphobia (hope I’m spelling that right) as well as OCD, in case you were wondering, anybody.

[Jade]

Hi. I will be getting my thingies on here soon. I have the book and everything.  I just forgot yesterday! I also realized that since I get home at like, 6:00 every day, I'm gonna have to make my posts in advance so it's fair to Raymond to not have to wait forever!

@Marlo: That's cool!

 

Be blessed,

Jade

[Asher]

Raymond, thanks!

You seem to have this book down pat! I have read I want to go home possibly more than any other Korman, and you have picked up things I missed.

As this is an early Korman, it very much is a Bruno and Boots style work - Our Man Weston, Who Is Bugs Potter, and No Coins Please also feature the over-the-top main character and straight man friend. Unlike the others in the previous list, this is the first one that would not work at all if you would take the name Rudy Miller and find-and-replace it with Bruno (and the same for Mike/Boots). Rudy is Gordon's first unique character and he has something special, jack-of-all trades, and master of all. It makes for an interesting pyschological experiment - trying to get into Rudy's head is something I always try to do when I read this book - something that Dennis, Sidney, Bruno, or Bugs never make me do. 

This is also I believe GK's most requested book to have a sequel (Gordon, correct me if I'm wrong). While GK would probably have a hard time getting into Rudy's character again, he really doesn't have to - this book could use a full rewrite in the newer Gordon Korman style. I would love to see each character's inner world (something I don't want of anyother GK character until Doug of Twinkie Squad), and a rewrite of this book character-by-character would probably be a huge seller.

An analysis of the chapters will start soon!

I plead extreme youth, you guys! I was 15! And yes, this was the book everyone wanted a sequel to -- until RESTART.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ---GK---

[Jade]

Okay, I did my reviews like I said I would! Sorry I nearly missed two days!

 

Chapter 2:

• 
  

  I like the focus on Mike this time! He’s going to be a really interesting character.

  
  


• 
  

  Rudy’s kind of a jerk, just a little bit. I love it on him! He’s so funny and I agree, Alcatraz is very fitting. I also thought that when I first saw Mr. Warden’s name.

  
  


• 
  

  It’s a sweet detail that the guy thought the kids were laughing for him, not at him. Instead of being offended or upset. That made me happy.

  
  


• 
  

  I like how happy-go-lucky everybody else is. Mike and Rudy stick out like two sore thumbs, but they’re made for each other. They’re both going to suffer!

  
  


• 
  

  Ooh, action already! Rudy wants to block up the camp and get everybody sent home (without anybody getting hurt) I see a plot a-brewin’!

  
  


• 
  

  It’s pretty simple but the build up is starting. Excellent!

  
  


• 
  

  Also, you wrote this at 15? Crazy. That’s so crazy, that’s younger than me. What a prodigy. 

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    It sounds really different from RESTART but that makes total since, since they’re like, 30 years apart!

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Dude! What Asher said! I would love to see a rewrite of this, of Rudy Miller, but in Gord’s recent style! That would be so epic! I would love to get inside of Rudy’s head!

  
  


• 
  

  Rudy is rooting to escape Camp Alcatraz!

  
  

 

@Raymond: You’re just too good. I’m not as encyclopediac as you… amazing. I too enjoy their budding friendship and it makes me happy. I liked the detail of them shaking hands… very professional. If it were my brother or my dad when they were this age, they probably would have just slapped the other guy or something. That motion when the guys either smirk, laugh, or look stoic and then they slap the other boy’s back. 

 

Mike laughing made me laugh! I so understand not being able to hold it in! That scene was so cute and his laughter was contagious! It’s going to continue to spill throughout the pages. “Innocent bystander” is one way to describe Webster. 

 

I didn’t think Rudy was joking. I still laughed. I talked about setting my after-school care on fire multiple times. Would have never done it, but sometimes, I despised it! 

 

Yep, Rudy’s the man for man-made natural disasters! Yeah, IWTGH is really funny!

 

Chapter 3:

• 
  

  “Why do you immediately assume I’m guilty?” “Well-did you do it?” “Yes”

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    No hesitation! Oh my goodness, already got me.

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Uh oh, Mike’s getting mean. Rudy’s a bad influence…

  
  


• 
  

  I love how dramatic he is. Basically, the world is over. But it’s fine.

  
  


• 
  

  What quicksand?!

  
  


• 
  

  The lies!!! Rudy, please! LOL

  
  


• 
  

  “I never wanted to kill anybody–until now!” Oh, Chip. Precious Chip. Slowly, Rudy chips away at his sanity. I don’t think anything will be left of him except for a chip of his morality. He really will become an axe-murderer!

  
  


• 
  

  “I’ll kill you!” Rudy, you’re BREAKING him! 

  
  


• 
  

  “It doesn’t have to be raining to be raining.”

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    So profound. So profound. Have I ever heard something more enlightening in my life? Probably not. Thank you, Master Rudy. 

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Arts and Crafts? I'm surprised that’s not too “girly” an excuse for them. 

  
  


• 
  

  Building a dam is crafty! It’s civil engineering! 

  
  


• 
  

  “How did you know?” Mike, be quiet! If you weren’t so silly that Chip thought you were teasing, y’all would have been busted a long time ago!

  
  


• 
  

  How come Chip can’t make them do anything? I imagine if I were in camp, they would just make me run laps and do exercises on the spot if I didn’t behave.

  
  


• 
  

  I love Mike’s sass. This is what I heard:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    “Yes, we’re just going to walk away. Just walk home. On the water, of course, since this is an island. But Jesus says we should act like him, and he could walk on water, so…”

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  First try-fail cycle! They tried to make a dam, realized it wouldn’t work, and got a new plan!

  
  


• 
  

  Okay, Chip doesn’t like them. And doesn’t know where they were. Guys, he’s on your tail!

  
  

 

@Raymond: He’ll tell a story but he won’t lie! Since he ditched the idea so quickly, does this mean they’ll ever stick to one thing? I feel bad for Chip! (But not really, the boys are funny.)

 

Chapter 4:

 

• 
  

  I’m not sure how 200 miles translated into 10 or 15 minutes, but cool!

  
  


• 
  

  “That was awful!” Mike, be quiet. That was cool. Why so dramatic? And Rudy, please! “At least we weren’t fired on” LOL!!

  
  


• 
  

  What is a bailing bucket? What are these strange terms? Are they Canadian words? Are they boy words? Was the officer really just going to let them off if they had it, at the ripe age of what? 13? So much freedom…

  
  


• 
  

  Huh, Rudy’s kinda creative! A bit of an artist, is he? With the symbolism and the painting?

  
  


• 
  

  He despises the boys now! Also, since they’re Mike and Rudy, I’m just going to call them Moody. M-udy. They work as a unit.

  
  


• 
  

  Chip is trying to catch Moody… hehehe!

  
  


• 
  

  “I’m a pacifist,” he says as he takes every opportunity to destroy Harold’s property

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Lol! Chip doesn’t like Harold either, if he’s constantly telling him to shut up!

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    How old are they? Chip feels like he’s 25 but also like he’s 17.

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  1. I thought Adam died! A mattress fell on his head! Imagine the letter:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    “Dear mummy, when I woke up, there was a mattress on my head! Save me!”

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  It’s crazy to me how boys will just have a pillow/everything-in-the-vicinity fight after that. If I were there, me and some girls I know would be shocked and squeal and cry about it. So interesting!

  
  


• 
  

  Please! The invite to the pillow fight?! I can’t!

  
  


• 
  

  The Pacifist Pillow Fight

  
  


• 
  

  Okay, there’s a beaver. SLACKER, anyone? LEVEL 13? Odd transition, but cool!

  
  

 

I liked this chapter, more action, more fun!

 

Be blessed,

Jade

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 4: GOOD, CLEAN, WHOLESOME FUN

• Rudy makes hay before the sun shines, apparently. As an early riser, I'm in solidarity with the pre-dawn escape hour.


• Via Mike, we all get some sensible boat safety advice. Don't set foot on a boat if you can't swim! And make sure you don a life jacket.


• Rudy logic: A bag of dirt would seem "cheap." That kid definitely has style.


• Superior dirt!


• "That's because you have no soul" (Rudy to Harold, who is unwilling to be impressed by the saleté) might be the greatest insult ever.


• Chip's increasingly automatic response to Harold—Shut up, Greene!—makes it clear he does not subscribe to the idea that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."


• Rudy wins the chess match by moving his bishop after Mike positions his knight. One year after I WANT TO GO HOME, the GRK book OUR MAN WESTON included characters named Bishop and Knight.


• The scene with the de-slatted and unsupported upper bunk mattress would be funny enough if Harold had climbed onto it, or even hopped onto it. But it's hilarious because he vaulted up to the bunk. You just know the crash was 10 times worse with a vaulting entry. GRK's scenes are humorous for what happens, but word choices really elevate the level of funny.


• Jump cut from the RUMBLE! in Cabin 13 to the counselors' meeting, with Chip all worked up about Rudy and his saleté. Why was this book never made into a movie?!? 


• Pun alert: Now the feathers will really fly. - Rudy's observation as the "thundering herd of clones" arrives on the scene of the pillow fight.

Yay! The gang's mostly here! 

@Marlo: That's right—Mitchell (THE FORT) is the most recent (?) example of the anti-13 superstition. The one that comes to mind for me is Nick in NO COINS, PLEASE! And of course we see the fearsome number in LEVEL 13: A SLACKER NOVEL. 

@Asher: Wow, so many good observations. Bruno and Boots are the defining examples of a funny man and the straight man foil. It's hard not to look for their analogs in other GRK works. But you're right, Rudy is not Bruno, and Mike is not Boots. I've never thought of Rudy and Douglas (THE TWINKIE SQUAD) as having similarities but now I can't help but see it. Nice!

@Jade: Yes! Somehow, Mike's inability to contain his laughter makes everything even more hilarious. And I didn't say it, but "It doesn't have to be raining to be raining." would keep a lot of philosophy professors engaged for hours. Deep. Speaking of deep, a bailing bucket allows you to remove water from your boat so it doesn't get so deep (and weighty) that it sinks you. And now you know why older Kormaniacs were so giddy when Elvis the beaver made his appearance in SLACKER! Trivia: Of the six different cover images that have graced I WANT TO GO HOME over the years, the first three finished the title with an exclamation, and the final three depicted a beaver.

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 5: LAND HO!

• Rudy repeats every maritime and nautical term he knows. Thar she blows! was enough to annoy even placid Mike.
  


• And what a swell guy Rudy is for accepting Mike's apology for falling asleep while navigating. (Mike's a saint for laughing it off.)


• Toll of phantom wood-butcher rises to two. Hey, Chip, you're losing your cool.


• ... I'm going to die at your hands, just like the cabin and the table.


• Those g-rated schoolboy insults! Nut! Twit! Bonehead! Skunk!


• Rudy's going to be forced to take part in camp activities?!?

My favorite scenes may be the ones with the counselors discussing how to handle the Rudy situation.

 

()   ()   ()    ()   ()   ()
>>>>  HBD, GRK!  <<<<
()   ()   ()    ()   ()   ()

[Raymond Jardine]

Oh, yeah, two more things in Chapter 5:

• Mr. Warden is a stuffed shirt. Pretty sure he's my favorite character.


• We got the title hook! When they realize they're back on Algonkian Island, Mike says, "I want to go home."

Thanks for the HBD, Raymond. You were second, after Jade. (You have to get up very early, or go to bed very late, to be ahead of Jade!)                                                                                                                                        ---GK---

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 6: DID YOU SEE THAT?

• Chip is giddy about forcing Rudy (and Mike) to take part in sports.


• Rudy is to baseball what Bugs Potter is to drums (except Bugs wants to be good at drums). @Jade, have you met Bugs yet? I wonder if your "he's kind of a jerk" comment would be duplicated for him.


• It's less fun to be a sore loser... but less fun to be around a sore winner. C'mon, Chip, show some class. Act like you've been here before. 


• It was the most amazing incredible fantastic stupendous game in baseball history!


• Camp Algonkian campers play a lot of sports. 


• Rudy contemplates presenting his parents with a (stuffed) moose head (to fill the void where they expect his future Olympic medals to reside). Wonder if it'll have moving eyes... I've heard that's a thing.

[Jade]

Hi, sorry, something happened on Tuesday so I've been busy... will get your two/three chapter reviews today! If it means anything, I'm mostly through Chapter 5, just haven't been able to write my thing

 

Be blessed,

Jade

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 7: NEVER ONCE, BEFORE TODAY

• Surprising vigils on two fronts: Mike is awake and ready to go when Rudy initiates the early-morning escape effort, and Chip is awake and suffering from existential dread (or maybe just self-pity).


• Mr. Warden has zero clue. I love that guy.


• "Old Elias must be spinning in his grave."


• I've heard that before, Mike thought (to Rudy's claim that "We're not going to be here after tomorrow."). Okay, so Mike thinks Rudy is unbeatable at any game but he does not think his friend is completely infallible.


• Chip is amazing. Even after the unexpected dip in the lake, even after Mr. Warden's rebuke during the "sentencing" of Rudy and Mike, Chip defends the boys' right to sit out of camp sports.


• Camp Algonkian's intercamp rivals have the most generic names imaginable—Spruce Valley and Cedar Ridge—but are still funny. Spruces are known for growing on ridges, and cedars tend to be found in valleys.

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 8: FLAVOUR FOR THE SOUP

• Apparently, any thought that "You'd have to get up pretty early in the morning to get by Clone Chip" underestimates Chip. He's ready for Rudy and Mike even in the predawn.


• And almost ready for their attempted escape on the supply boat, but not ready enough to avoid another session in the lake. "Oh, hi. Has it been raining?"


• The camp kitchen staff absorb all of Rudy's abuse and then offer the boys their second "permission" loophole of the day. 


• Gym-sock Gumbo again? I'll pass.


• Frank and Chip have souls, which becomes apparent when they can't help but snicker at Rudy's reference to "old Elias."


• Alcatraz, indeed. I have no doubt many prisons have laxer security than what is being planned for the boys' counselor-to-counselor handoffs.

Well, we're into the second half of I WANT TO GO HOME, and Rudy's still an inmate on Algonkian Island. 

[Ash]

Now that Sukkot is over, I can get started.

First, happy belated birthday GK! We are 4 days (and some years) apart!

Second, while Raymond Jardine had to wait to book 104 to get a GK dedication, I got mine even before I was born! I want to go Home is dedicated to those who know the difference between "fun" and "fun". That describes me well. (@GK, did you have  a specific person in mind when you wrote the dedication?)

I am going to focus on parts that Raymond and Jade didn't focus on.

Chapter 1: Gordon Korman did not like Guidance Departments growing up. This is a theme that will be repeated in Twinkie Squad. (One wonders why). 

I really feel for Rudy's parents. A whole book can be written on them. They clearly are trying hard, but are having a difficult time raising their son.

I laughed at loud how Mr. Warden (who clearly is a close relative of Mr. Wizzle) completely ignores the whole letter until the description of camp. How oblivious can one get?

Rudy appears glum here. This is the last appearance of his non-poker face expression we will get for a while, and it reflects his true feelings. I feel bad for him, he is good at everything, which means no one sees him for who he is, just for what they can get out of him. The internal monologue here is also the last time in the book we will see what he really thinks until he laughs in the ending.

Rudy is saying the truth: What comes before tadpole? A full fledged frog who can swim great...

The sony walkman here is updated in later editions to a cd player (something I am firmly against). I suspect that if they keep doing this, they'll need to drastically update the book to include smartphone confiscations and perhaps a chapter on Rudy and Mike trying to steal their phones. Perhaps some books shouldn't be updated. 

The cabin 13 boys have Charlie Brown's Peanut's teams baseball playing skills. I don't know if it was a GK influence, but I always think of it.
https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1981/04/02

 

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 9: THE GREAT ESCAPE

• 1,800-rated Class A chess player Ralph Deacon is a brave and foolhardy man. Chip should have known to fight harder against the counselor-vs.-camper bet. And Frank clearly doesn't understand the gravity of the situation. 


• Pierre seemed to be the best counselor yet at handling Rudy: appropriately suspicious and attentive while also earnestly trying to get him interested in an activity. But that mail boat's siren call....


• An armada of speedboats filled with camp counselors, with Chip waving his fist from the helm of the lead motorcraft, all pursuing the renegade Rudy and Mike across the open water with freedom in sight on the shoreline.... Tell me again why this isn't a summer classic movie?!?


• The two boys meet their fate in the zunging lumberyard. And we get a deferential "Comrade" greeting. 


• Rudy Miller, Camp Director-for-a-Day. This should be fun.

@Asher: Add poor Mr. Morrison (DON'T CARE HIGH) to your list of Kormanian guidance counselors who don't catch a lot of breaks. And, following your THE TWINKIE SQUAD reference, did you notice the appearance of bulrushes in the story? No time for frolicking, sadly. Your "What comes before tadpole?" logic would please Rudy (which you would be able to tell by the sparkle in his eye rather than by a smile). And, of course, Mike would be in fits. I'm glad you brought up the "updating" of the story in later editions of I WANT TO GO HOME. I've always preferred to read the OG text. So much of the story is a product of its times that changing some technology or dollar figures can feel jarring. For anyone reading along for this book club: Which edition are you reading? 

Asher - the difference between "fun" and "fun" was all in the mind of the 15-year-old snot who wrote the book and thought he knew it all, and REALLY wanted to BE Rudy Miller, but didn't dare. It's as much a wannabe book as anything I've written!

Raymond - I'm amazed at how devoted you are to I WANT TO GO HOME! You're actually showing it to me in a completely different light. Like, if RAYMOND likes it so much, it might be better than I thought ...

Thanx!                                                                                                                                                                    --G--                                                                                                                                                     

[Asher]

@Raymond - I did not notice the bulrushes. I need to read more carefully!

@GK: I think you stumbled on why it was one of my favorites (and all of your readers favorites) book as a child. It is definitely a wannabe book. Just like every twelve year old wished they were Harry Potter, every twelve year old wished they were as funny and as athletic and amazing as Rudy Miller. For the hour we read the book we were. It\'s a classic that holds up well.

PS: You can write a quasi sequel, focusing on what would happen with a boy who was good at everything but just wanted to be accepted. I'd count that. (Yes, I know what you will say: "I'd never say never").

[Asher]

Chap 2

The bugle playing reveille is the first part of the book that made me roll with laughter. Of course all the other boys were fine with it. Of course.

One day gone, twenty seven to go - Rudy hasnt thought of visiting day yet. Or is visiting day a month in? (In my camp it was two weeks in).

"Early to Rise, early to Bed makes a man healthy wealth and dead" is a beautiful quote. I am annoyed it wasn't turned around to rhyme here.

The Rudy Miller - Howard Greene rivalry starts strong here. Rudy is blessed with overconfidence, and being Rudy Miller, I think he knows that if Harold tries to bully him or fight physically, he will win.

"It does look this way". Rudy continues his truth-telling.

"It would give me great pleasure to go home" My second time rolling (this time along with Mike) in this chapter. Rudy's speech comments are one of my favorite parts of the book.

Something I just noticed: One of the reasons this book works so well is its word choices. The speaking verbs are all chosen really well.

"moaned Rudy"

"mumbled"

"hollered" Chip. 

suggested Mike.

You see it again in chapter 12, by the conselor meeting (page 157 in my edition):
Roared Chip
Pierre Laughed
Snapped Frank
Retorted Pierre
etc

great verb choices and it makes it feel real.

The laugh sentence also is extremely poetic:
"It began in his throat, progressed to a series of muffled giggles, and rose to a mighty crescendo". That is such a perfect sentence for describing a laugh. It could be written in fancy letters on a Bugs Potter album cover.

Mike and Rudy make peace. This part feels unrealistic, tbh. But Harold Greene better watch out.

 

 

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 10: ATTENTION, PLEASE!

• I admit to stealing and adapting the line "Let's pick a number at random—uh, say, thirteen" many, many times in my life. 


• Frank and Chip attempt a revolt, but democracy prevails, and the counselors actually honor their obligation from the big bet. Maybe more people should be reading this book more regularly.


• Rudy's sports are hilarious. Calvinball has nothing on Rudyball. I wonder if Bill Watterson ever read I WANT TO GO HOME.


• Every scavenger hunt should be the Elias Warden Memorial Scavenger Hunt.


• Pierre really does get the joke. "I've never seen camp spirit like this."


• "Chooses friends well. - R.M."


• "This is Camp Algonkian Island, soon to be famous for its volleyball program."


• Who else looked up the Anvil Chorus on YouTube? You couldn't do THAT when I WANT TO GO HOME came out 43 years ago.

This has got to be one of the most memorable chapters in any book, ever. It's easy to laugh at the losers and cheer for the winners, even when those groups overlap considerably.

@Asher: Your response is exactly right. Rudy (and Artie and Bugs by extension) was sort of the young teen boy daydream of being so talented, so unbeatable, that showing off wasn't even necessary, you could afford to play things cool. ... Rudy's "It does look that way." makes me laugh every time! ... I have said Mr. Warden is my favorite character, and it's largely because of how—like you say—Warden's speeches set up so many of Rudy's best quips. 

@GRK: You probably evaluate your older books from the standpoint of how you would write them now (or whether you would even tackle the specific stories/characters at all). As readers, we get the advantage of loving them for what they are, and nostalgically for how they made us think just a bit differently about the world when we first read them. 

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 11: NAME, RANK AND SERIAL NUMBER

• Rudy agrees, without coercion, to join Jack Tyler's soccer squad. Just carry on, no cause for suspicion. 


• The beaver's update is out of place. He's supposed to come at the conclusion of the chapter, following the counselors' end-of-day discussion. 


• For anyone reading a newer edition: In the earlier copy of I WANT TO GO HOME that I'm currently reading, the counselors use Bobby Fischer (chess), Pele (soccer), and Henry Rono (running) to exemplify the pinnacles of their competitive pursuits.  I'm not doing a full-book comparison with the latest edition, but I did check this one section and found, respectively: Magnus Carlsen, Messi, and Usain Bolt. 


• I'm a little sad that Rudy didn't get into camp spirit, and instead views the Cedar Ridge game as a new escape opportunity. But, of course, Rudy is being true to Rudy. 


• Chip is on it. He goes from exulting in Algonkian's superior soccer play to full-on Miller patrol in less than two heartbeats. 


• @Asher, you pointed out in the FAKER Book Club (link) the recurrence of the old "ball lost in the woods" escape plan. 


• "You may stick flaming bamboo under my fingernails." is, surprisingly, a repeated sentiment in the Kormanian universe. Most recently (I think) in RESTART.

[Jade]

Chapter 10:

• 
  

  This was hilarious! I loved seeing Rudy in his power-trip, I like seeing how he can make all of the other characters like him. He’s not some evil guy at heart, but a kid, and he knows how to have fun!

  
  


• 
  

  I really like Pierre and how he was whooping Chip! And Frank! 

  
  


• 
  

  Gonna be honest, I thought the activities were real. (At first. Obviously not near the end.)

  
  


• 
  

  The scavenger hunt idea was awesome. It really showed the counsellors how to get the campers excited and going. Rudy did a great job at uniting everyone in a mission and having real teamwork.

  
  


• 
  

  Love the ribbons. So much. No idea where Rudy got them from, but his reasonable countenance and his outlandish competitions got everyone working together. Everyone felt appreciated. Yes, it was a joke, but it made just enough sense and was just fun enough so that the campers and counsellors had the maximum amount of fun.

  
  


• 
  

  Love Pierre!

  
  


• 
  

  In this story, Mike is forgotten a lot. It’s always Rudy, and Mike can be pushed into the background. Rudy is a great friend in how he does not forget Mike. He’s so nonchalant, but his note in Mike’s file was sweet.

  
  


• 
  

  The volleyballs! As someone who used to play volleyball, that made me smirk a bit! 

  
  


• 
  

  I love the way that Frank flounders and Chip (also floundering) screams all of the time.

  
  


• 
  

  I like how Rudy’s Random Rating is “13”. The forbidden number. The cursed number. 

  
  


• 
  

  By the way, missed opportunity with “His Cloneship.” Could’ve totally been “His Cloneschip.”

  
  


• 
  

  Not sure what the Anvil Chorus is. Should I watch?

  
  


• 
  

  Also, not sure if it’s in this chapter, but this little beaver plot in intriguing.

  
  


• 
  

  Definitely a memorable chapter. I like how the counsellors were all laughing at Warden Miller up until they had to compete in the competitions.

  
  


• 
  

  However, they all had fun! It wasn’t torture! It wasn’t the campers laughing at their counsellor. They were all having fun together.

  
  


• 
  

  Now, the things I would do to see this written in modern GK style. So much potential!

  
  


• 
  

  Also, kudos to Judge/Referee-of-everything, Head Counselor Mike!

  
  

 

Chapter 11:

• 
  

  Rudy just going with Jack Tyler (who is this) made me just as confused as Mike. Glad he explained it.

  
  


• 
  

  Thanks… for the modern update. The only person I knew on that list was Pele. There’s no way Rudy is that good.

  
  


• 
  

  By the way, GK, what was the point in making Rudy so good at everything? If you can remember. I want to critique this story, but then I remember that you were almost two years younger than I am today. Great job.

  
  


• 
  

  I couldn’t believe Rudy wanted to do anything but escape. So I’m glad I was right! He’s a genius, alright. I like how Mike goes along with him even though he’s chill on his own.

  
  


• 
  

  I feel bad for Chip. He’s losing his mind. Well, he lost it a while ago, but the police officially filed it as a “missing person” a while ago and the case was closed yesterday. 

  
  


• 
  

  Yeah, I thought of that escape plan too! Except instead of running off the field and into your dad’s car to find a new identity, Rudy and Mike just WANT TO GO HOME.

  
  


• 
  

  I think it was cool how Mike escaped, but he came back for Rudy. There’s really no fun without Rudy. What’s the point in getting away if it’s not with his camp best friend?

  
  


• 
  

  GK isn’t too original with the torture devices. Good with me. It’s this mantra that stays in my mind, when I start reading about it again. I like how Rudy was basically saying that he’d take the Cruciatus curse before he said a word on Mike’s whereabouts.

  
  


• 
  

  What is this concept of “Name, Rank, and Serial Number?” I am confused. What rank? Why do they have ranks? Nobility? And what is serial number? Is that your social security number? Isn’t that super private information? Ah, Canada.

  
  

 

Chapter 12:

Psst. I wish I checked how many books this was before I slacked off on the Book Club for five years. Imagine my dismay when I realized there’s only fourteen chapters! Easier to read on the bus to a field trip, though. Awesome.

 

• 
  

  Dance? That seems random. I also didn’t think an all-boys dance would be a good idea. Thankfully, there are two genders, so it’s less of a pre-teen frat party and more of a proper formal.

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Well, as formal as you can get for stinky island campers.

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Mike actually wants to go. Huh. Why? Girls? Don’t worry, kid. They’re just as awkward as you are, just with flavor.

  
  


• 
  

  Just kidding, I’m not a tweenage girl hater. They’re all adorable, and I’m glad these fictional girls had the chance to dress up and enjoy their first dance! Just imagining my middle school dances and how I had so much fun. So grateful (and everybody looked so nice!) But why does he want to dance? I know he can’t! 

  
  


• 
  

  Girl-clone, boy-clone idea. Interesting. Can’t believe everybody looks the same.

  
  


• 
  

  I know Rudy is supposed to be a cool guy, but sometimes his jokes just don’t land. He seems like he’s trying to be a nonchalant dreadhead (that is also funny) and failing, sometimes.

  
  


• 
  

  “Do you dance?” “Only at gunpoint.”

  
  


• 
  

  Nevermind, I take it back. He’s hilarious!

  
  


• 
  

  (Why are there so many scene breaks in this book?)

  
  


• 
  

  Is Zeke pronounced “Seek” with a hard S, or “See-Key” with a hard S?

  
  


• 
  

  I like the switching up of the scenes. No more camp, more dancing!

  
  


• 
  

  How old are all of these girls?

  
  


• 
  

  Makes sense how they all have massive crushes on Rudy. I would too. Now, imagine they saw the way he played those sports! He’d have them drooling all over him!

  
  


• 
  

  “Well, what do you know? We finally found Miller’s weakness—women! Miller has a weakness for women!”

  
  


• 
  

  Love you, Chip.

  
  


• 
  

  Very interesting scene with Pierre. Just waiting for Rudy and Mike. I think he’s beginning to understand the way Rudy works. Rudy’s reasonable, but he wants to have fun. His own way of fun.

  
  


• 
  

  Calm down, Chip! But it makes sense. Last time Miller disappeared he almost made it to the mainland. (Or did he?) (I say “he” like Mike wasn’t with him. Correction: Did they?)

  
  


• 
  

  The stampede was really funny.

  
  


• 
  

  The scenes with the counselors talking about their near-death experiences, but it was really just each other? That guy and the “bear?” That was so funny! I think I even laughed while I read this on the bus!

  
  


• 
  

  I like how they all just laugh it off at the end.

  
  

Sorry this took... eons. Can't believe only two chapters left (ignoring the vast majority that I haven't reviewed, but have read!)

Hi, Jade,

1.) The Anvil Chorus is a wonderful piece of music from Il Trovatore by Verdi. Google it and you'll probably recognize it immediately.

2) Name, rank, and serial number is the military answer to being interrogated by your captors. That's all you have to give them.

Glad you had a few laughs on that bus ride!

 

Hi, Raymond,

I'm glad you enjoyed the scene of vaulting into the upper bunk. After all these years, I'm going to admit I stole it from a single scene in the movie THE GREAT ESCAPE. Mea culpa. It was worth the larceny.

                                                                                                                               ---GK---

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 12: STOP THE MUSIC!

• Rudy suspects the Algonkian clones will be distracted by the female clones of the girls' camp hosting the dance. Maybe he's met Rob and Dennis (NO COINS, PLEASE!).


• Rudy can dance—but let's be honest, is anyone surprised?!? Favorite part is when he takes on new Silver Lake dance partners as "the original eight begin to drop out, exhausted." 


• When Rudy answers that he learned to dance from "a mixmaster," I've always wondered if he's referring to a disc jockey or the whirling food processor. I could accept either truth.


• "Say, Mike, I'm planning to invent a new dance. It's called The Exit. Are you with me?"


• Pierre really is the smartest of the clones. Sitting outside the exit door! So simple. And his comment about recording the dance chaos for a best-selling book... I'm beginning to wonder if "Gordon" is just the pen name of the brilliant author Pierre de Resistance.


• And I can almost hear "Chip's half-demented voice" when he discovers Rudy has disappeared. 

@Jade: "His Cloneschip." Ha! ... Good call on Mike and his motivations, which clearly are more "stick by Rudy" and less "actually escape." ... The boys/girls dance was a h-u-g-e part of camps back in the day. Is that not still happening? ... And yes! The counselors laughing together about their ridiculous evening is the perfect way to end the chapter. 
@GRK: Love the backstory on the bunk prank. 

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 13: MIST OFF THE LAKE

• "I want some volunteers or... you don't eat." Well played, Chip.


• So, Mr. Warden believes Mother Nature wouldn't dare to let it rain on an Algonkian parent's day? That is next-level faith.


• I love Ralph Deacon's coining of Elias's Law: "It's not allowed to rain on visiting day."


• Nature or nurture? Is Jeffrey Miller genetically inclined to be as much of a terror as his older brother, or did Rudy (as he claims) train the younger Miller how to cause chaos everywhere he goes?


• When the soccer field starts to flood, Pierre is quick to determine that he should get Mr. Warden, because "Elias would have wanted the captain to go down with the camp."


• I wonder if the counselors invoked old Elias prior to Rudy's mock reverence for the camp founder.


• Rudy laughs!


• The beaver riding out the building waters atop Mike's guitar is a promo shot for any Hollywood summer blockbuster. 


• Rudy's long list of reasons to stay at Alcatraz is heartening. But "I haven't escaped yet." is the perfect one to maintain his reputation.

Given Rudy's apprehension about the number 13 and the importance of Cabin 13 (and Table 13), it almost seems like the book should've been 13 chapters. But, one more to go!  

[Jade]

Happy Halloween! Happy November!

Chapter 13:

• Really liked this one. I like learning more about Mr. Warden, knowing that he's going to get what he wants. This is where he takes a more active role in the story.


• Jeffrey! Never would have guessed Rudy had a sibling at all. He acts like an only child. I hope Jeffrey is different from Rudy.


• The Miller parents shocked me a lot. I'm surprised that Rudy is nothing like them. With their sons, I expected them to have two distinct personalities, being able to clearly see why the boys act that way. It would have been cool if the dad and the mom were independent and unique, having a lot of individuality. I also expected one of them to be ultra-rich, or ultra-smart. That would make sense. A family of geniuses.


• Would have been cooler if Jeffrey was different from Rudy, but they had the same attitude. Like how siblings are the same font but different colors.


• Mr. Warden in his attic, waving at the people? Classic! That was so funny!


• Rudy seems like a bit of a psychopath. That's really funny. I'm glad he finally smiled and laughed.


• Finally, the beaver. Something happened. This man-made natural disaster was more natural than they expected!


• It was a great detail that Rudy ended up wanting to stay since he hadn't escaped. It's not Rudy if it's not on his own terms, I suppose.


• Wish I saw more of Mike this chapter.

Chapter 14:

• This was super short. What, two pages?


• I like how Rudy and Mike are still wreaking havoc on Camp Alcatraz.


• The volleyballs! Yes! This part made me laugh out loud. A thousand volleyballs? They might as well become pros at this point.


• It was a nice ending with a little bow on top. Sometimes, GK's books don't have satisfying endings so I'm glad that this one did. It was a pleasure reading I WANT TO GO HOME!

Thoughts:

• Short, sweet, and good for a 15-year-old.


• I would've liked to see more of Mike. The first chapter implied that he'd take a bigger role in the story.


• GK has improved so much since writing I WANT TO GO HOME. The difference between this and RESTART? Gord, you ought to be proud!


• Will you please, please rewrite this book? In modern style? It would be so good!


• I thought the book would be deeper, but I enjoyed the surface-level adventures that Rudy Miller and Mike Webster had.


• His Cloneschip is a nice guy.


• Short book!

Now, are we going to do the discussion topic things? And I really ought to give you guys my reviews of the, like, six other chapters that I missed (so sorry!)

Be blessed,

Jade

[Raymond Jardine]

Chapter 14: YOU COME BACK HERE!

• The counselors' recapping of the final two weeks of camp is a great scene to close out the story.


• We get another smile from Rudy. I'm going to believe it was his genuine way of thanking Chip for a great summer, rather than the final move in whatever psychological game he'd been playing all month.


• No wonder so many readers semi-expected a sequel, when Rudy promises Chip, "See you again next year."


• I wonder what damage that beaver could wreak with 1,000 volleyballs....

@Jade: You join many, many fans who think Mike Webster is the undersung true hero of IWTGH. (That was sort of a surprise to me when I started hearing about "Team Mike" ... I'd always seen Mr. Warden and maybe Chip and Pierre as the best secondary characters.) ... If you've got some discussion topics, let's do it. And if @AnyoneElse is lurking, now would be a great time to jump in.

[Darren]

Excellent job on synopsis and analysis, Raymond.

Sorry I couldn't take part this time. Between work and my house being possessed by the spirit of Raymond Jardine with everything falling apart, I just didn't have the free time.

Coincidentally, I've been listening to the podcast on my drive back and forth to work and am up to "A Semester In The Life Of A Garbage Bag". I have to say that you've been the highlight of that podcast, imo.

[Raymond Jardine]

Hey, @Darren, thanks for popping in. I had a blast revisiting this longtime favorite "Korman Classic" over the past couple of weeks.

I think several other Forum friends had the same reality of life intruding on plans to take part this time. But even if the "official" book club is over, this is a great spot for adding ongoing thoughts about I WANT TO GO HOME. 

And if anyone stumbles on this thread in the future who has not read about Artie and Mike's adventures on Algonkian Island: I WANT TO GO HOME is one of Gordon Korman's earliest and most popular books and it's still in print. So go find a copy and prepare to laugh!

[Raymond Jardine]

* uh, make that Rudy and Mike...

[Jade]

Yeah, life SO exploded when this started happening. Like a lot. Kind of a terrible week, that time I missed half the book. But I liked the book! And thought it would be way longer! So epic.

Yeah, Mike isn’t a strong supporting character, he’s kind of just there, but he’s definitely my favorite character.

Be blessed,

Jade

(Also, my Twitter account got hacked, so I had to make a new one. But I put my real age on it (16 and 11 months), so it’s in a bit of a private mode.

[Asher]

This is my second favorite Korman work (after The Twinkie Squad). It was one of the very first chapter books I had ever read In matter of fact.

I remember just laughing uncontrollably for around ten minutes straight during the counselor's relay races. When my Mom asked me what was so funny, my grandmother said "seems he found Gordon Korman for the first time".

Thanks for the laughs and the memories!

Wish I could have participated more but I was out catching two kids who kept escaping camp.

[Mia]

Hi, 

I am doing a book report on 'I Want To Go Home' and am working on the plot diagram. Would you please be able to tell me the climax and the falling action in the book? 

Much appreciated!

Hi, Mia,

Thanks for posting. I'll try to be helpful.

The climax of I WANT TO GO HOME is easy enough. It takes place on visiting day at camp, when the flood happens and the beaver floats by on the guitar. That represents Rudy's "natural disaster," something he has worked towards from Day 1.

As for the "falling action," that's at the end of the story, when the volleyballs are delivered, and we get one last, "Miller, you come back here!" It means that Rudy Miller really does rule Camp Algonkian Island, even though he doesn't want to be there.

OK? Hope you enjoyed the book.                                                                  -----Gordon Korman-----

 

[Mia]

Thanks so much!

This information is great!