READER’S FORUM

November 8, 2025 at 03:41 pm Reply

Librarian Elizabeth

Five years ago I started a book club with my husband's mother and sisters. This month we wanted a short book to read because my SIL is working on a Master's degree and has less time to read. So I offered up a few great middle grade titles that I thought they would enjoy. From the list, the consensus was Old School, partly because my MIL lives in a retirement community, so she thought she might relate. I wanted to let you know that everyone enjoyed it! Even my MIL's across the hall neighbor read it and loved it. Mom said that each of the residents of The Pines reminded her of someone she knows in her community.

Thank you for writing so many books for all of us to enjoy. This read gave me the opportunity to recommend some of your other books - Schooled, as another middle-school-fish-out-of-water story, and my particular favorites, Son of the Mob and No More Dead Dogs.

I wanted to ask if there was a particular reason you named the retirement community The Pines.
November 8, 2025 at 06:59 pm Reply

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Hi, Elizabeth,

Thanks for posting and for those kind words about my books! I'm glad to hear that OLD SCHOOL went over so well with Mom.

No big mystery about The Pines. It just sounded right for the age group. My own favorite part of the story was the fact that tea became so popular with the visiting kids that the school cafeteria started offering it.

Thanks again! -----Gordon Korman-----
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Hi, Elizabeth,

Thanks for posting and for those kind words about my books! I'm glad to hear that OLD SCHOOL went over so well with Mom.

No big mystery about The Pines. It just sounded right for the age group. My own favorite part of the story was the fact that tea became so popular with the visiting kids that the school cafeteria started offering it.

Thanks again! -----Gordon Korman-----