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Kids shake up tech-free wellness resort in fast-moving romp.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Unplugged is mostly a romp, but you will probably

Amid all the crazy doings, strong messages of frie

Twelve-year-old Jett has made a career of being th

A very bitey lizard bites his human caregivers and

A scene involves the kids' difficulties cleaning u

Candy bars such as Mounds and Snickers are valuabl

Parents need to know that Unplugged is another fast-moving foray into tween mayhem by best-selling author Gordon Korman. This one involves the adventures of 12-year-old Jett, son of two overachieving Silicon Valley parents he never sees, who gets sent to a remote wellness retreat with no internet, no nothing,…

Educational Value

Unplugged is mostly a romp, but you will probably know more about the wilds of Arkansas and also about alligators when you're done. Lots of references to countries like Belize and Burkina Faso, where Jett's mom does charity work.

Positive Messages

Amid all the crazy doings, strong messages of friendship, teamwork, respect for each other's differences and talents -- and, especially, a willingness to change your mind when you learn new facts. As Jett says at one point: "Never trust someone who always thinks she knows what the right thing is. They can justify anything." Also messages about being humble, keeping your word, being true to yourself, and making things right when you mess up.

Positive Role Models

Twelve-year-old Jett has made a career of being the biggest brat in Silicon Valley, but his neglectful, overachieving parents have a lot to do with it. Mayhem is a way of life with him, and rules made to be broken, so burglary and boat-stealing are all in a day's work. But a growing fondness for Needles the lizard and and for his newfound friends brings Jett a new perspective -- and also a determination to stop at nothing to investigate when something looks suspicious. Grace is a bit of a goody two-shoes and definitely a true believer in the founder of the wellness resort, but adjusts as things get more complex. Other kids are dealing with assorted issues of their own, and they all get their moment (often more than one) as their team develops. Guru type Magnus Fellini (who Jett immediately dubs Nimbus) is a bit over the top on the wellness enthusiasm but shows unexpected depths. A villain is getting rich by using mind control to fleece wellness patrons.

Violence & Scariness

A very bitey lizard bites his human caregivers and devours an unfortunate field mouse in one gulp. A kid violates the veg-only rules by killing a bug to feed the lizard. Kids are briefly caught and held captive by goons employed by a mysterious villain. There's a pool with hundreds of alligators -- being raised for their meat and hides -- who would be happy to eat any and everybody. A villain is using mind control to get money from their victims. In the past, when Jett's dad was a teen nerd with a computer shop, a mob boss sends goons to extort protection money; young Vlad hacks the mob boss' system so bad that soon they're paying him protection.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

A scene involves the kids' difficulties cleaning up lizard poop. Many butt references, from "save his sorry butt" to "I've always kind of wondered why my folks think the sun shines out of (character)'s butt" to "it's no skin off my butt." A kid describes the wellness resort experience as "the privilege of boiling their butts and subsisting on a plant-based diet." A character complains about the bloat and gas he's getting from the plant-based diet.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Candy bars such as Mounds and Snickers are valuable in a wellness camp where they're completely forbidden, and a discarded label leads to trouble.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Unplugged is another fast-moving foray into tween mayhem by best-selling author Gordon Korman . This one involves the adventures of 12-year-old Jett, son of two overachieving Silicon Valley parents he never sees, who gets sent to a remote wellness retreat with no internet, no nothing, as punishment for his latest prank (a drone that shut down the San Francisco Airport). As often happens in Korman books, the main character meets a bunch of other kids (all with issues and minds of their own), alliances are forged, and skullduggery is uncovered. Also reptiles. A villain is using mind control to get money, and also raising captive alligators to kill them for profit. Goons capture the kids and briefly hold them prisoner. Amid a fair amount of butt and poop humor, as well as burglary, boat-stealing, black-market candy-bar sales, and other misdeeds in a good cause, there are strong messages of friendship, teamwork, standing up for what's right, and being able to change your mind and make things right when you learn new facts.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (4)

Based on 1 parent review

Intriguing Adventure

What's the story.

Loathed by every adult supervisor in Silicon Valley, 12-year-old Jett, soon to become UNPLUGGED, never sees his wealthy, overachieving parents. (Dad's a computer genius who invented practically everything and got rich; Mom runs Orthodontists Without Borders, which keeps her away from home a lot.) Lacking neither brains nor resources, he's always found plenty of ways to get into trouble and bedevil his keepers, but when his prank with a drone shuts down air traffic at San Francisco Airport, his absent dad packs him off to the Oasis -- a wellness resort in the wilds of Arkansas whose guests are required to surrender all their electronics on arrival. With him is Matt, an adult employee of his dad who signed on to write code but found himself in charge of Jett and keeping him under close supervision. Jett's plans to make the place too hot to hold him don't go quite as planned -- but they do shake things up with the other kids who, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, are also sharing the Oasis experience. And when Grace -- the truest of true believers -- adopts what she thinks is a poor helpless baby lizard, when pets are as much against the rules as satellite phones, bitey little Needles brings together an unlikely support team. Also, he's the first of many hints that all might not be quite as Whole as it seems at the wellness resort. With chapters narrated by the various kids, wild events are soon to follow.

Is It Any Good?

Gordon Korman's novel finds a bratty Silicon Valley boy exiled for his misdeeds to a wellness resort in the wilds of Arkansas, with no tech devices allowed and the mantra "Be Whole" front and center. Young Jett may be Unplugged , but as a true hacker, he lives to overcome limitations. When he joins forces with the other kids to protect a baby lizard, things get complicated. It's a fast, fun read in which characters often have to change course when things don't go as planned. Like here, where Jett's just engineered a pedal boat accident to get himself thrown out of the resort, only to discover that the New-Agey founder is no pushover:

"Getting myself bounced from the Swamp Gas Hilton isn't a joke; it's a sacred quest.

"'Look, this is a hundred percent on me. What can I say? I'm a bad person. I do this kind of thing all the time. I totally understand if you have to kick me out.'

"'The blame is ours,' Nimbus insists. "We're pathfinders. If you haven't found a place for wellness within you, it's because we have not yet shown you the path.'

"I may be Silicon Valley's Number One Spoiled Brat, but I know right then and there I'm out of my league."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about main character Jett in Unplugged. He has unbelievable amounts of money but no friends, no pets, and not much to do with his mighty brain. What other stories do you know where the hero seems to have a perfect life, but that's not exactly the truth?

If you had to go without electronics for a month, would you be fine with it or would it drive you crazy?

Have you ever known anyone who tried to keep a wild animal as a pet? How did it turn out?

Book Details

• Author : Gordon Korman
• Genre : Humor
• Topics : Friendship
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Balzer + Bray
• Publication date : January 5, 2021
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
• Number of pages : 336
• Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : January 8, 2021

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by Gordon Korman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2021

A fun, low-tech summer adventure.

The spoiled son of a Silicon Valley tech magnate is forced to spend the summer at a wellness retreat with no meat and no phones—and something fishy going on behind the scenes.

The last thing 12-year-old Jett Baranov wants to do is meditate at the cultlike Oasis of Mind and Body Wellness in Arkansas. He reluctantly befriends some of the other kids after Grace Atwater, an Oasis poster child, finds a strange lizard. Together with Tyrell Karrigan, who suffers constant allergies, and Brooklynne Feldman, who actively avoids the retreat’s activities, Grace and Jett care for the lizard and start making secret trips to the nearest town. They discover an eccentric gangster’s mansion and learn that everything might not be completely peaceful at the Oasis. The pieces come together in a mystery that touches, a bit incongruously, on the supernatural. Jett and his friends jump in to save the largely out-of-touch or even downright neglectful adults in an exciting climax of fireworks and alligators. The major detraction from this fun romp is the fact that none of the characters are particularly likable: The main cast of children includes a spoiled brat, a goody-two-shoes, and a doormat. Jett matures a little over the course of the story but not enough to make the indulged billionaire’s son truly sympathetic. Characters default to White.

Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-06-279889-3

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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CHARLOTTE'S WEB

by E.B. White illustrated by Garth Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1952

The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...

A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.

Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952

ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by E.B. White & illustrated by Maggie Kneen

by E.B. White illustrated by Fred Marcellino

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SEEN & HEARD

by Louis Sachar ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998

Good Guys and Bad get just deserts in the end, and Stanley gets plenty of opportunities to display pluck and valor in this...

Sentenced to a brutal juvenile detention camp for a crime he didn't commit, a wimpy teenager turns four generations of bad family luck around in this sunburnt tale of courage, obsession, and buried treasure from Sachar ( Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger , 1995, etc.).

Driven mad by the murder of her black beau, a schoolteacher turns on the once-friendly, verdant town of Green Lake, Texas, becomes feared bandit Kissin' Kate Barlow, and dies, laughing, without revealing where she buried her stash. A century of rainless years later, lake and town are memories—but, with the involuntary help of gangs of juvenile offenders, the last descendant of the last residents is still digging. Enter Stanley Yelnats IV, great-grandson of one of Kissin' Kate's victims and the latest to fall to the family curse of being in the wrong place at the wrong time; under the direction of The Warden, a woman with rattlesnake venom polish on her long nails, Stanley and each of his fellow inmates dig a hole a day in the rock-hard lake bed. Weeks of punishing labor later, Stanley digs up a clue, but is canny enough to conceal the information of which hole it came from. Through flashbacks, Sachar weaves a complex net of hidden relationships and well-timed revelations as he puts his slightly larger-than-life characters under a sun so punishing that readers will be reaching for water bottles.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: 978-0-374-33265-5

Page Count: 233

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2000

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

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by Louis Sachar ; illustrated by Tim Heitz

by Louis Sachar

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46 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-13

Chapters 14-20

Chapters 21-27

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

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Summary and Study Guide

Unplugged (January 2021) is a standalone novel by Canadian American children’s author Gordon Korman. Korman began writing as a teenager, and in a career that spans four decades, he has penned more than 90 middle-grade and teen novels. His works have sold 35 million copies worldwide, and his 39 Clues series has reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Korman has also received multiple reader’s choice and best book awards from various organizations during his long career. His Masterminds Trilogy, which has been optioned for film, includes Masterminds (2015), Masterminds: Criminal Destiny (2016), and Masterminds: Payback (2017). Other titles of note include The Unteachables (2019), Ungifted (2012), and Supergifted (2018).

Unplugged falls under the categories of Children’s Books on Friendship and Children’s Mystery, Detective, & Spy Fiction. The book is intended for readers aged 9-12. The story is set at a fictional wellness camp called the Oasis of Mind and Body Wellness. It is located in the wilds of Arkansas, about three hours away from Little Rock by car. The events take place over a period of about three weeks in the summer. The story uses a first-person limited point of view and is told from the perspective of four main characters. Three of them are 12 years old, while the fourth is in her early teens. A set of chapters is devoted to each character's version of events, and this alternating narrative technique remains consistent throughout the novel. Two other minor characters also have a single chapter devoted to their perspectives.

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As the story begins, 12-year-old Jett Baranov , the spoiled son of a tech billionaire, is being transported to a wellness camp in rural Arkansas that bans the use of all tech devices. Despite his surly attitude, Jett finds himself involved in the care of a tiny lizard that another camper saved from boiling in a hot spring. While following the exploits of Jett and three other youngsters who work together to save one small lizard, the novel explores the themes of Leading Isolated Lives , The Value of Interdependence , and When to Break the Rules .

This guide refers to the Kindle edition of the novel.

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Plot Summary

The story begins with Jett Baranov being transported to a wellness camp in rural Arkansas. As the son of a tech billionaire, Jett has been named Silicon Valley’s Number One Spoiled Brat for the outrageous stunts he pulls. He is being supervised by a company programmer named Matt. When the two arrive at The Oasis for Body and Mind, they meet an extremely tall and off-putting meditation director named Ivory. She asks them to turn over all the tech gadgets they carry. Jett is furious and does his best to get himself kicked out of the camp. However, the camp founder, Magnus Fellini, has great faith that Jett will come to enjoy his time at the Oasis.

Despite Jett’s indifference to all the other guests, he finds himself getting involved in the care of a tiny lizard that another campmate saved from boiling in a hot spring. He becomes a part of Team Lizard along with other campers interested in the illicit rescue project, such as allergy-prone Tyrell, camp booster Grace, and the enigmatic Brooklynne, who turns out to be Magnus’s daughter. The four youngsters engage in some risky behavior to conceal the reptile and find carnivorous food for it to eat in the all-vegetarian camp. Stunts involve “borrowing” a boat to travel to a nearby town, eating banned food like meat while there, and running a candy-smuggling operation to keep a blackmailer quiet.

In the nearby town of Hedge Apple, Jett and his friends stumble across an illegal alligator farm. They also realize that their pet lizard is a baby alligator who must have escaped from there. Jett’s attempts to alert the authorities and free the alligators put him in danger after he tries to blow up the reptile river gate using smuggled fireworks. When Jett is caught, Team Lizard comes to his rescue by breaking all the camp rules. Tyrell steals a golf cart, Brooklynne uses a banned cell phone to call the police, and Grace detonates the fireworks before rescuing Jett from his captors. The villain running the farm turns out to be the camp’s own Ivory, who has been hypnotizing guests into giving her large sums of money to finance her shady operation. At the end of the story, Jett declares that he wants a pet when he gets home and that he also wouldn’t mind coming back to the Oasis in the future if his friends were there too.

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REVIEW: Unplugged by Gordon Korman

From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s The Unteachables and Masterminds series, as well as Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries. As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, spoiled Jett Baranov has always gotten what he wanted. So when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of a place called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids whom he has absolutely no interest in hanging out with. As the weeks go on, Jett starts to get used to the unplugged life and even bonds with the other kids over their discovery of a baby-lizard-turned-pet, Needles. But he can’t help noticing that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange. Could it be all those suspicious “meditation” sessions? Jett is determined to get to the bottom of things, but can he convince the other kids that he is no longer just a spoiled brat making trouble?

Dear Mr. Korman,

The image of Needles is what made me perk up and read the blurb for this novel. He looked like fun and the book looked like fun so here we are. As I read it though, I felt that the story had more than a bit of a “Scooby Do” feel to it. 

The four main characters do come across as the twelve year olds they are. They see the things they’ve done and are involved with – Jett’s outrageous stunts, Grace’s belief that Oasis is so wonderful, Brooklynne’s secret – as much more important and serious than they actually are. But to twelve year olds, that’s how they still view things. The main plot carries you along and for the most part, never feels too out of control. Live without your electronic devices? Yes, for today’s generation, that would be torture. Go to a super healthy living summer camp in Arkansas? For Jett that would be torture. The degree of intensity of the  summer health camp is kind of a little out there but still plausible.  

The adults are all sort of unbelievably clueless and the kids get away with a lot of things even before they must save the day. Seriously, no one in the nearby town, as small as it is, realized what was going on? I find it hard to fathom that no adult got home from a summer at Oasis and didn’t realize that they’d done something they shouldn’t have done – which I’ll avoid going into details about as it’s a spoiler. But since the audience is intended to be middle schoolers who probably haven’t learned the joy of managing a bank account yet, I’ll move on. 

I figured out a few of the secrets, missed another one, caught some of the “Chekhov’s pistols” that had to be used by the third act, but found a few other events to be silly from the POV of an adult. 

But it does have heart and humor. Twelve year olds don’t do more than most twelve year olds would be capable of doing. Two characters change in good ways and discover more about themselves. The wrap up was a little fast with some characters having seemingly miraculous changes of heart about the truth of the mystery going on. The denouement ending was totally unbelievable as LEOs would never have not started questioning people right then and there but again, that’s the adult in me speaking. It’s on the light side but it kept my attention and I wanted to not only know more but how it was going to end. C+

~Jayne      

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Another long time reader who read romance novels in her teens, then took a long break before started back again about 25 years ago. She enjoys historical romance/fiction best, likes contemporaries, action- adventure and mysteries, will read suspense if there's no TSTL characters and is currently reading more fantasy and SciFi.

OMG, this name takes me back in time! I used to love Gordon Korman books when I was a kid. When my public library stopped getting new books by him, I think I assumed that he had stopped writing. By the time the internet became widely available, I was an adult and wasn’t looking for them. I remember loving that the characters would get up to these complex, improbable and hilarious schemes, right under the adults’ noses. I might have to check this one out (and see which of my old faves I can acquire).

I interviewed some people from the Inspiring Girls program for an article. That program takes teen girls into the wilderness for a few weeks and teaches them art, science, and survival skills. They have to leave their devices behind. Apparently is tough at first but then they really enjoy being unplugged.

I think you can read the article here if interested: https://issuu.com/enchantmentmagazine/docs/20_07_ocec

@ Mikou : Your description “complex and improbable” fits this book, too. I just checked my library and it has 9 of his ebooks (with many of the covers showing kids obviously getting up to something). Hoopla also has several of his ebooks and audiobooks.

@ Kris Bock : That’s neat. But … some of the students didn’t want their phones back?? Really? ☺ I would guess there was no program last year due to Covid, though.

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Unplugged Paperback – June 7 2022

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Jett Baranov is Silicon Valley’s number one spoiled brat. The son of a billionaire tech genius, he has everything money can buy, which means he’s in the habit of getting into a lot of trouble. When one of his stunts brings in the US Air Force, Jett’s father sends him off to Oasis Mind and Body Wellness center where he’ll be unplugged and disconnected from the outside world.

Of course Jett hates it instantly and does his best to get himself kicked out. But it’s not as easy as he thinks. When Grace Atwater rescues a defenseless lizard, Jett is drawn into caring for the little guy with the help of Grace, Tyrell Karrigan and Brooklyne Feldman. But things aren’t as they seem at Oasis. There’s something going on with the head meditation pathfinder, Ivory ― something dangerous that threatens the future of all the guests at Oasis. And Jett is the only one who can put a stop to it.

Told in Gordon’s now classic multi-voice style, Unplugged combines mystery, comedy, friendship . . . and don’t forget about the crocodiles!

• Reading age 9 - 12 years
• Print length 320 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 4 - 7
• Dimensions 12.75 x 2.09 x 19.67 cm
• Publisher Scholastic Canada
• Publication date June 7 2022
• ISBN-10 144319607X
• ISBN-13 978-1443196079
• See all details

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Praise for Unplugged :

“Korman has absolutely mastered the formula for kid-centered rebellious adventure, not to mention capturing the social zeitgeist of the moment.” ― CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“A fun, low-tech summer adventure.” ― Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Canada (June 7 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 144319607X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1443196079
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 279 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.75 x 2.09 x 19.67 cm
• #315 in Mysteries & Detective Stories for Children
• #888 in Children's Books on Friendship
• #1,561 in Humour for Children (Books)

About the author

Gordon korman.

Gordon Korman has written more than fifty middle-grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times #1 bestseller The 39 Clues: One False Note, The Juvie Three, Son of the Mob, Born to Rock, and Schooled. Though he didn't play football in high school, Gordon's been a lifelong fan and season ticket holder. He says, "I've always been fascinated by the 'culture of collision' in football and wanted to explore it-not just from the highlight films but from its darker side as well." Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York.

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Unplugged – book review

As the son of a tech billionaire, Jett Baranov is accustomed to getting whatever he wants and is well known for his stunts, which have gotten him into plenty of trouble. Tired of paying for/covering up his son’s pranks (which are becoming more and more dangerous), Jett’s dad sends him (and one of his employees – Matt – to babysit him) off to a remote wellness resort (the Oasis) in Arkansas, where he’s forced to disconnect from the world (no phones, computers, internet), learn to meditate, experience nature, be vegetarian (no meat on the menu!), and bathe in a hot spring. Jett hates everything about it. Most of the kids there feel the same way – with one exception, Grace Atwater. When Grace discovers a strange reptile on the grounds, she makes a secret pet out of it and Jett and a couple of the other kids (Tyrell and Brooklynne) find out and help her care for it. This involves quite a bit of sneaking around – right up Jett’s alley – and forbidden trips into town in a stolen boat so they can feed “Needles.” When Needles disappears, however, Jett has more time to focus on some of the weird things about the Oasis, and when he puts on his detective cap, he uncovers a quite an intricate scheme. His new friends are there to back him up when it looks like it’s curtains for the play boy. If you can look past Jett’s ego/attitude (spoiled, entitled rich kid) in the first part of the book, it’s worth sticking around to see how the story plays out – very much like a Scooby-Doo mystery.

Reviewed by YA Librarian

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Gordon Korman. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-279889-3

Reviewed on: 10/29/2020

Genre: Children's

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Jett Baranov – son to a tech giant and one of the richest men on Earth, Jett is used to getting anything he wants at the snap of his fingertips. Giving up his phone and other tech when he and his minder are checked into the Oasis Meditation Retreat is just the first insult to his spoilt, rich kid world. He is determined to do everything he can to get chucked out. He is an expert at trouble, officially being given the no.1 spot as most spoilt, reckless, rich-kid after many dangerous and expensive stunts in the past few months.

Grace Atwater -the opposite to Jett, Grace and her parents save up every year to attend the summer holidays wellness camp. Grace adores Ivory, the 6ft 4 meditation pathfinder who guides them into spiritual awareness. The owner and key advisor to a better and whole life is Magnus – who Grace sees as almost holy. Grace enjoys the weeks away from devices, the wholesome, strictly vegetarian diet, the thermal pool, meditation and peace of the retreat.

Tyrell Karrigan – Tyrell is plagued by allergies. Food allergies, dirt, dust, or nervous tension all send him into a scratching frenzy. The Oasis is supposed to help but just make things worse. He’s surprised when the son of a mega-famous tech genius befriends him, wary he is just a distraction not a true friend.

Brooklynne Feldman – The expert on the Oasis after attending since she was 6 years old, Brooklynne knows more about it than she should. Avoiding the activities the other kids are engaged in gives her time to explore the outer edges of the camp. She knows where the keys are for the camp launch, and other handy information for an adventure none of them are expecting. She’s also hiding something from her new friends. Something she’s hidden from all residents since she was 6.

Brandon Bucholz – Brandon is the son of an ex football player and is just about as big. He isn’t any happier than the other children attending with their parents and reluctantly attends the activities. It’s not long before he and Jett clash, and he vows revenge on the smart-mouth rich kid.

It’s a small lizard that unites the first four, but also gives Brandon something over them. Keeping pets at Oasis is against the rules. The lizard, named Needles by Grace who found him, brings out different traits in Jett. So do his new friends. But the friendship is stretched when Jett discovers something so bizarre, no one will believe him, let alone trust anything he says going on his past behaviour.

Unplugged is told in these five points of view. Each character is different, providing an interesting mix of personalities, beliefs, quirks and reactions.

This is pure middle-grade fiction with mystery, danger, new friendships and an inevitable foe all swept up in the mix. The climax is full of action as the tweens clash with the villains of the story.

The personal growth of Jett is a given but plays out gradually and in a plausible arc. Great read.

Author – Gordon Korman

Age – 8+

Click here to read an excerpt from Unplugged.

Read more reviews of novels by Gordon Korman (Click on a Cover)

(2021, Harper Collins, Healthy, Mindful, Camp, Retreat, Oasis, Spoilt rich kid, Friendships, Courage, Alligators, Personality clash, Trust, Growing up, Action, Reptile, Animals, Fraud, Money, Secret, Mystery)

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• Books I’ve Reviewed

Gordon Korman’s newest middle grade adventure has 27 chapters with six different narrators. Multiple viewpoints to the max. It’s a tough task for any author, but this unique plot and setting pulls it all together.

Set in a retreat known as the Oasis, the Arkansas wilderness is the perfect place to put forth a lifestyle of no electronics, eating a vegetarian diet, and meditation. Families come to enrich their lives with a different type of escape from everyday life. The newest arrival is anything but happy to be there. Jett Baranov is the spoiled rich kid of Silicone Valley’s multi-billionaire tech genius. Jett is the focus of the story and narrates 11 of the chapters.

Other’s include:

• Grace Atwater (6 chapters): She likes the Oasis and adores both the leader and his assistant. Grace is totally into everything they espouse. She detests Jett and his obnoxious ways.
• Tyrell Karrigan (4 chapters): Allergies abound for this kid as he’s always itchy. His parents and sister have accompanied him on this unique experience and he’s the first to befriend the enemy—Jett.
• Brooklyn Feldman (4 chapters): She’s spent more time at the Oasis than anyone. She has a secret that is eventually revealed.
• Brandon Bucholz (1 chapter): Son of a retired pro football player. Brandon is a semi-bully who tries to blackmail Jett.
• Matt Louganis (1 chapter) Matt is there to chaperone Jett since Jett’s parents have no time for their son. Matt’s task is not easy.

The story’s appeal grows as Jett and three other kids adopt a strange looking lizard found on camp grounds. They keep it in a tray of water, hide the little guy in an abandoned shed, and share the feeding responsibilities. This act of kindness changes many of their attitudes toward each other. Meanwhile, Jett is getting more suspicious of how the camp is conducted. The adults are all acting a little strange. He’ll do anything, no matter how wrong his methods are, to get to the bottom of exactly what is going on.

Recommended for those who enjoy multiple viewpoints, a few laughs, and an easy read.

BOOK BIRTHDAY : January 5, 2021 PAGE COUNT : 336

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: UNPLUGGED by Gordon Korman

• Young readers will immediately connect with the concept of going off the grid. No phones or any electronics would be torture to anyone in the ALWAYS ON generation.
• An exciting climax with some great character arcs—even the surprising one for Matt.
• Having Jett as the center of the story was a good choice. You don’t often see someone whose reputation of being a spoiled jerk as the main protagonist. Jett is the kid nobody wants, but eventually you emphasize with his predicament.
• Just enough twists to keep the pages turning. Some were quite unexpected!
• The cover pulled me in even before I saw the author’s name.

HOW GORDON KORMAN GOT HIS START

Welcome to the wonderful world of a regular guy who just happened to write 90-something books for kids and teens.

I was born on October 23, 1963 in Montreal, Canada, and grew up mostly in the Toronto area.

My writing career began virtually by accident when I was in 7 th grade. The track and field coach had to teach English. For creative writing, he gave us total freedom to work on whatever we wanted for the rest of the year. It was February. That added up to a class period per day for more than four months. The result was my first novel, THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING AT MACDONALD HALL.

I sent my manuscript to Scholastic because I was the class monitor for Scholastic Book Orders, and figured I was practically an employee. Seriously. (Full disclosure: my mom had to type my book for me.) It was a totally flukey and random way to launch a publishing career, but here’s the thing: It worked.!THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING AT MACDONALD HALL was published by Scholastic when I was a freshman in high school, and I was on my way.

(Read more about Mr. Korman and his books at his author web site )

*********************

Comments are always welcome and can be typed in below.

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About Greg Pattridge

10 responses to unplugged.

This sounds like a really different story with so many points of view. And I agree that you don’t see many books with a kid who is a jerk as the main character.

I always enjoy Gordon Korman’s books and this sounds like another winner. I’ll have to look for this at the library. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it.

Love any Gordon Kormon books.His dialogue and themes are authentic. Great mentor texts for MG and YA authors. I get so immersed in the stories that I forget to take notes!

Korman is one of my favorite authors! I really like the unplugged premise and the lizard! I will definitely be adding this to my TBR list!

I am always up for a new Gordon Korman book! And I love the idea of a spoiled silicon valley kid forced to unplug – plus the disturbing undercurrent that all is not well in the desert.

Love that cover — it’s perfect! Think MG students will enjoy this read! But, I’ve never seen a story told from six point of view. How interesting! And, thank you for sharing a brief interview with Kormon — what an amazing story about publishing his first book in high school! Thanks for sharing today!

Great cover and this sounds like a terrific book. I love an unexpected main character. I also love the author bio. How fascinating! Thanks for the post.

I have read a lot of Korman’s books and enjoyed them. He does a great job writing from multiple points of view. I will definitely have to check this book out.

I saw Korman talk at a book fair a few years ago and I was amazed at how his publishing career began. Wow! Amazing!

Great review!

I have this book on order at the library. Looking forward to reading it!

I haven’t had a chance to read any Gordon Korman books in several years, but I really loved Ungifted and the Swindle series! It’s fascinating that he published his first book in high school—and I’m always impressed with how many he still churns out (I feel like just last week we were talking about War Stories). This one sounds just as original as all his others! Thanks for the great post!

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Down The Hobbit Hole Blog

A Camp with no Phones?! New Unplugged 2021 book review

Unplugged 2021 book Review  w ritten by the Ent on /2020 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.  **We reviewed an audiobook copy of the book from the publisher. Our opinions are our own, we were not monetarily compensated for our opinion and we recommend the book**

Know Before You Read

Book :  Unplugged Author : Gordon Korman Genre : Teen Drama, Comedy Age suggested: 11 and up Release Date : January 5 th , 2021 Themes : Dependency of devices/screens, being whole, serenity Warnings : Nothing inappropriate. The age suggestion is simply because younger viewers would lose interest in the story.

Quick Summary :

              When affluent families need to take a break and relax, they attend Camp Oasis. Which provides a complete overhaul of everyday life: Pure diet, meditation, and perhaps the most difficult change- absolutely no devices.  Jet is the child of one of the richest business moguls in the world and is sent to Camp Oasis in order to be ‘corrected’. But Jet isn’t intimidated by the Camp Oasis rules and he is going to do do anything he needs to to keep his personal luxuries. Who will win, and what qualifies winning anyways?

Unplugged 2021 book Review:  (Contains Light Spoilers)

-is unplugged appropriate-.

There is nothing inherently inappropriate in this book except for some disrespectful teens.  Any kid who can handle the length of the book will be able to handle the contents.

-Plot/Story of Unplugged- *MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

The general plot consists of kids being sent to camp Oasis in order to find true meaning and peace through a good diet and removal of all external distractions (like screens).  Jet, the son of a multi-billionaire, is sent here, but he has absolutely no desire to go along with the beliefs of the camp.  This leads to lots of conflict and even delves into a camp secret that must be uncovered. Personally, I thought the ending fell a bit flat, but the overarching story was put together well. The characters are really engaging and that’s what really carries this story.

-Characters in Unplugged-

There are many diametrically opposed characters in Unplugged, which leads to some interesting and dynamic friendships/rivalries.  This is led by Jet Baranov, whose completely blasé attitude towards any type of self-improvement puts him at odds with just about everyone in his life. And, as in real life, all the campers have different opinions about the camp and it’s rules.

All of these characters pale in comparison to the most compelling thing in the story (and our favorite part), Needles.  Needles is an abandoned lizard that the campers start to bond over in order to take care of it.  This simultaneously humanizes everyone while also bringing characters together for the common good of their lizard friend.

– Why Read Unplugged-

This middle grade book provides a fun setting with some interesting characters.   There aren’t particularly any great lessons about “being unplugged” which is a bit ironic, but there is some good character development and growth within the story.

Unplugged Discussion Questions

• In recent memory, what is the longest time you have gone without your phone or device?
• What do you think of Camp Oasis? Would you enjoy it or do you think it would just stress you out?
• If you found a lizard at Camp Oasis, would you have tried to take care of it yourself or pointed it out to a camp counselor?
• Have you ever experienced the benefits of being ‘unplugged’?  Do you find it difficult, relaxing, stressful, etc?
• Do you think the program that Magnus Fellini developed still has merit despite the ending?  What merits do you think it still has?

Thanks for reading our Unplugged 2021 book review! Check out some of our other review posts before you go:

– The Babysitter Club Netflix review -For other older middle grade reads; check out our reviews of  Inquisitors Tale, Awkward, Alls Faire In Middle School . -Don’t miss this post on  Life Lessons from the new Little Women Movie  or review of the new fun movie  My Spy .

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Unplugged 2021 book review use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like . So, y ou are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes.   Also , f ind our other  reviews  with discussion questions here. Our posts about  faith  here.  Lastly,  our posts about  family  stuff here .

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These Teens Adopted an Orphaned Oil Well. Their Goal: Shut It Down.

Students, nonprofit groups and others are fund-raising to cap highly polluting oil and gas wells abandoned by industry.

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By Delger Erdenesanaa

As a child in Bolivia, Mateo De La Rocha told his family he wanted to work as a garbage man when he grew up. In La Paz, his home city at the time, trash piles were everywhere. In Mr. De La Rocha’s eyes, the local sanitation worker was the only person cleaning up pollution. “I didn’t really see anyone doing anything about it, apart from the garbage man,” he said.

His family later moved to the United States, and now Mr. De La Rocha is a high school senior in Cary, N.C., who has found a unique way to clean up pollution: Along with two friends, he recently raised $11,000 to plug an abandoned oil well in Ohio that was leaking gas close to a barn on a horse farm. It’s an unusually niche cause for young environmentalists to take up, but one with a potentially significant effect on global climate change.

As many as 3.9 million abandoned and aging oil and gas wells dot the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The reasons for abandonment vary, but at least 126,000 of these wells are orphans, meaning there’s no longer an owner or company that state regulators can hold responsible for them. And many of the wells leak methane, a greenhouse gas that’s nearly 30 times as powerful as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a period of 100 years, and even more powerful over shorter time periods.

The E.P.A. estimates that abandoned wells collectively released 303,000 metric tons of methane in 2022, roughly equivalent to how much carbon dioxide 23 gas-burning power plants might release in one year. This estimate, however, is highly uncertain.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $4.7 billion to states, tribes and federal agencies to plug orphaned wells, but given their sheer number and the enormous geographic area they cover, these federal funds will not be enough.

“No single group is going to solve this problem,” said Andrew Govert, the program manager of a Department of Energy initiative to find undocumented orphaned wells and establish best practices for measuring their pollution. “I think it’s going to take NGOs, government, industry. It’s kind of all hands on deck.”

Taking Initiative

After completing his Advanced Placement environmental science class, Mr. De La Rocha, 18, said he realized that the methane from these abandoned wells was an issue in which individual people could potentially make a difference. He invited his friends and classmates Sebastian Ng and Lila Gisondi to join him. They call themselves the Youth Climate Initiative.

“When Mateo approached me about this and I really looked into these methane wells and what we can do about it, it really kind of flipped a switch,” Mr. Ng, 17, said. Before, he had felt like there wasn’t anything he could do about climate change, he said, and he would simply joke about the world ending.

For Ms. Gisondi, 18, talking with her friends about these methane-emitting wells brought climate change from the back of her mind to the forefront. “It was something that I felt like I could actually help with,” she said.

When a well is no longer being used to pump oil and gas, it’s supposed to be closed off with cement in a process called capping or plugging. But many have been left open, often in disrepair, polluting groundwater and leaking toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide into the air. The wells can be extremely dangerous for people nearby.

After more research, the trio connected with a nonprofit organization called the Well Done Foundation that plugs orphaned wells. The organization was founded by Curtis Shuck, a veteran of the oil and gas industry who came across his first abandoned well in 2019.

When Mr. Shuck saw that first well, he recalled thinking, “This is embarrassing for me as somebody who’s been in the business, and this can’t continue,” he said. “This orphan well thing has been everybody’s dirty little secret.”

He secured the domain name and nonprofit registration for the Well Done Foundation later that same day. Since then, his organization has surveyed more than 1,700 abandoned wells around the country and plugged 44 of what they identified as the most problematic ones.

The students in North Carolina agreed to sponsor the 45th, an orphaned oil well on the horse farm in Ohio, near Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The well is next to the farm’s barn and only about 100 yards from the landowners’ house.

Melissa and Bill Simmons bought the property in 2016, with two sons and several horses and chickens in tow. Nearly all the properties they had considered in the region had old oil or gas wells on them.

At first they thought, “Everybody else has these things,” Ms. Simmons said. “It must be OK.”

The well on their farm had been drilled in 1983 by a company called Pine Top, which is now out of business.

About a year after moving in, the Simmons family noticed the well was leaking gas. The boys could hear it hissing when they were outside doing chores. When it rained and water collected in the pumpjack’s nooks and crannies, the family could see gas bubbling up through the water. And eventually, they could smell gas inside the barn and had to leave the doors open, fearing a buildup and explosion.

Ms. Simmons contacted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. She learned that state officials were dealing with a very long list of orphaned wells — more than 20,000 documented so far in Ohio, which is one of the country’s oldest oil-producing regions — and that hers did not warrant immediate action. But after many calls, one official told her about the Well Done Foundation and said the nonprofit group might be able to help.

They connected at the end of 2021, more than three years after the Simmons family first noticed the well leaking. Mr. Shuck traveled to the farm, confirmed they had a problem and agreed to take on the project.

After the Youth Climate Initiative joined the effort, they raised money in small increments over the course of about three months. One of the most poignant donations came from Mr. De La Rocha’s 10-year-old cousin, who gave all of his birthday money, a total of $120, to the cause. The fund-raiser was featured in a popular newsletter, Gen Dread , that explores the issue of climate anxiety among young people.

The students also persuaded the Reimer Family Climate Crisis Fund, a small family foundation based in Austin, Texas, that had previously given to Well Done, to match their donations. The $11,000 the students raised will cover approximately 15 percent of the project’s total cost. Well Done will cover the rest of the cost through other donations and sponsors.

Work began this year. On Thursday, contractors began pouring the cement that will plug the well.

A National Problem

The Well Done Foundation hopes to scale this adopt-a-well model nationally. The organization has also started the process of potentially getting carbon credits issued through ACR, formerly known as the American Carbon Registry, which runs a voluntary market for individuals and companies to purchase credits that fund projects meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Research on the methane emissions from abandoned and orphaned wells is still young. In a 2016 study of 138 abandoned wells , the highest emissions rate the researchers measured was about 150 grams of methane per hour. The average for unplugged wells was about 10 grams per hour.

According to measurements by Mr. Shuck and his colleagues, the well in Ohio was leaking more than 10,000 grams of methane per hour at one point.

Referring to Well Done’s figure, Amy Townsend-Small, a professor of environmental science at the University of Cincinnati who was lead author on the 2016 study, said “the emission rate is much, much, much higher than any well we’ve ever measured.”

Mr. Shuck acknowledged that some of the Well Done Foundation’s measured methane emission rates are exceptionally high, which sometimes elicits skepticism. He attributes this to using newer instruments and having measured so many wells.

“There’s lots of ways to test,” said Mary Kang, an assistant professor of civil engineering at McGill University in Montreal and the lead author of the first study on methane from abandoned wells , published in 2014. “No one can do it perfectly.”

Dr. Kang added that there are potential issues with issuing carbon credits in exchange for plugging orphaned wells. One is the fact that wells in the same area could be connected underground through cracks in the rock formations. Plugging one well could simply send methane into the atmosphere through a different, unplugged well.

“It’s like Whac-a-Mole,” she said.

The Biden administration’s signature climate law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, established a new program through the Department of the Interior that is responsible for handing out $4.7 billion in federal grants.

“The problem is so huge,” Mr. Shuck said, that the new federal funds “really are just a down payment. There are so many wells, and these wells are so expensive.”

Going forward, the oil and gas industry needs to be responsible for plugging its old wells, said Adam Peltz, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund who works on oil and gas issues.

And in fact, the Bureau of Land Management recently increased the amount of money it requires oil and gas companies to set aside for well-plugging before they even start drilling, to avoid more wells being orphaned in the future.

But for existing orphaned wells, Mr. Peltz said, especially those that predate modern regulations: “Whatever it takes to plug them.”

Now that final exams, sports tournaments and prom are out of the way, Mr. De La Rocha, Mr. Ng and Ms. Gisondi plan to raise money to plug a second orphaned well this summer.

Delger Erdenesanaa is a reporter covering climate and the environment and a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers. More about Delger Erdenesanaa

Our Coverage of Climate and the Environment

News and Analysis

Over the past year of record-shattering warmth, the average person on Earth experienced 26 more days of abnormally high temperatures  than they otherwise would have, were it not for human-induced climate change, scientists said.

The Biden administration laid out for the first time a set of broad government guidelines around the use of carbon offsets  in an attempt to shore up confidence in a method for tackling global warming that has faced growing criticism.

A group of health experts, economists and U.S. government lawyers are working to address a growing crisis: people dying on the job from extreme heat. They face big hurdles .

Adopting Orphaned Oil Wells:  Students, nonprofit groups and others are fund-raising to cap highly polluting oil and gas wells  abandoned by industry.

Struggling N.Y.C. Neighborhoods:  New data projects are linking social issues with global warming. Here’s what that means for five communities in New York .

Biden Environmental Rules:  The Biden administration has rushed to finalize 10 major environmental regulations  to meet its self-imposed spring deadline.

F.A.Q.:  Have questions about climate change? We’ve got answers .

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Unplugged Kindle Edition

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unteachables , Gordon Korman, comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s Ungifted and the Masterminds series, as well as Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries. 

As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, spoiled Jett Baranov has always gotten what he wanted. So when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of the Arkansas wilderness, at a place called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids, who he has absolutely no interest in hanging out with.

As the weeks go on, Jett starts to get used to the unplugged life and even bonds with the other kids over their discovery of a baby-lizard-turned-pet, Needles. But he can’t help noticing that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange.

Jett is determined to get to the bottom of things, but can he convince everybody that he is no longer just a spoiled brat who is making trouble?

• Print length 330 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 3 - 7
• Lexile measure 750L
• Publisher Balzer + Bray
• Publication date January 5, 2021
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• ISBN-13 978-0062798909
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

From school library journal.

"A fun, low-tech summer adventure."

About the Author

Gordon Korman is the bestselling author of more than eighty books for children and teens, including his popular 39 Clues series. In 1999 the Disney Channel created The Jersey , a television series based on his Monday Night Football Club books.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B088RD9QJ9
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balzer + Bray (January 5, 2021)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 5, 2021
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2486 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 330 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0062798901
• #228 in Children's Issues in School Books
• #520 in Children's Books on Friendship
• #886 in Children's Humorous Literature

About the author

Gordon korman.

Gordon Korman has written more than fifty middle-grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times #1 bestseller The 39 Clues: One False Note, The Juvie Three, Son of the Mob, Born to Rock, and Schooled. Though he didn't play football in high school, Gordon's been a lifelong fan and season ticket holder. He says, "I've always been fascinated by the 'culture of collision' in football and wanted to explore it-not just from the highlight films but from its darker side as well." Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York.

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