Showing posts with label GordonKorman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GordonKorman. Show all posts

Friday, 10 July 2026

Sleepless - Gordon Korman

Sleepless
Gordon Korman
Scholastic
ISBN 
9781546126119
eISBN 9781546126126
ASIN B0FK1HWG4L

Sleepless - Gordon Korman

I started reading Gordon Korman books with my son in 2019. That first one was a gift from a teacher at the end of the school year. Each student received a copy with a personal note, after we finished reading Restart, my son and I each picked the other books by him I picked up the eBooks, and we planned to work through them all. Last year I finished reading all of the published book by Korman, and have plans to go back and reread a few of them. My son still has about 30 of the 111 to go. But we were both excited about this new title that released in 2026.  This was Korman’s latest release published in the summer of 2026.

But back to this specific volume; Sleepless like many volumes by Korman is told is a series of first-person narratives from different characters perspectives.  The chapters in this volume are:

One: Mickey Prima
Two: Skye Berenger
Three: Levi Mackenzie
Four: Mickey Prima
Five: Cyrus Teitelbaum
Six: Thea Davidson
Seven: Mickey Prima
Eight: Skye Berenger
Nine: Mickey Prima
Ten: Levi Mackenzie
Eleven: Cyrus Teitelbaum
Twelve: Thea Davidson
Thirteen: Mickey Prima
Fourteen: Levi Mackenzie
Fifteen: Skye Berenger
Sixteen: Mickey Prima
Seventeen: Levi Mackenzie
Eighteen: Mickey Prima
Nineteen: Thea Davidson
Twenty: Cyrus Teitelbaum
Twenty-One: Skye Berenger
Twenty-Two: Mickey Prima
Twenty-Three: Cyrus Teitelbaum
Twenty-Four: Thea Davidson
Twenty-Five: Mickey Prima
Twenty-Six: Skye Berenger
Twenty-Seven: Mickey Prima
Twenty-Eight: Cyrus Teitelbaum
Twenty-Nine: Mickey Prima
Epilogue: Thea Davidson

About The Author We Are Informed:

“GORDON KORMAN wrote his first novel, This Can’t Be Happening at MacDonald Hall, when he was thirteen years old. Since then, he’s written over a hundred other books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Restart; Linked, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book; Slacker; Mixed Up; Faker; and Snoop. He lives on Long Island with his family and can be found online at site.”

The description of the volume states: 

From the #1 bestselling author of RESTART, the story of five kids who are up all night every night... and desperate to find out why.There's not enough time in the day.How often have Mickey, Skye, Levi, Cyrus, and Thea thought that?Well, now they have plenty of extra time... because they no longer need to sleep.None of them know why this is happening to them. All they know is that they have to keep it a secret from their families and their friends. And while they keep it a secret, they can use their extra hours to become better than everyone else.Each of them thinks they're alone in their sleeplessness. But once they find each other, they know it can't be just an accident. Suddenly they're forced to keeping them awake at night?

This was an excellent story. It reminded me of a character from the 1985 movie ‘Real Genius’. There is a character Jordan Cochran played by Michelle Meyrink, who is a nonsomniac, she never sleeps. She is eccentric, fast-talking prodigy with a hyperactive personality and has the ability to function perfectly without any rest. In this story a group of kids experience the same thing but artificially. I had always hopped to develop it, there are so many books to be read. But after reading this volume, it is a little less appealing. 

It was fascinating to read how each of the youths discovered they could not sleep, and how they choose to fill their time. Some turned to sports, some the arts, some focused on academics and some invention. As they slowly realized that they were not alone and discovered each other their questions only grew. As they try and figure out what makes them different they make a discovery and it changes everything. 

This is another wonderfully written story by Korman. I absolutely loved it, and have already recommended it to my son, and my nephew, and some friend’s kids. All I can say is wow what a story! I can easily recommend it.
 
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
         (formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
          (aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
          (formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)

Bugs Potter Series:

Jeremy Bloom Series:

Monday Night Football Series:

Masterminds Series:

Slapshots Series:
Cup Crazy (2000)
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)

Nose Pickers Series:
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)

Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)

Son of the Mob Series:

Everest Series:
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)

Dive Series:
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)

On the Run Series:

Kidnapped Series:
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)

Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)

Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
S.O.S (2011)

The 39 Clues Series:
Flashpoint (2014)

Hypnotists Series:

Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)

Slacker Series:
Slacker (2016)
Level 13 (2019)
...

Non Series Books:
Schooled (2007)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
Notorious (2019)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
The Fort (2022)
...
 






Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books First Quarter 2026

Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books First Quarter 2026


It has been an excellent year for reading so far, not my best to date, but my second best. I averaged over a book and a half a day. Faster than the last few years, but I had the first few weeks off work, and so many books and series I am working through. 

In April of 2023 I wrote a piece called How I Read So Much? Because I get asked the question so often, read the piece linked above if you are looking for some ideas on ways to read more. 

This quarter I read 151 books and I did not any to the ‘did not finish’ list, one of my highest quarters since I started keeping track, below is the comparison with the last 9 years:

     2026 - 151
     2025 - 132
     2024 - 119
     2023 – 160
     2022 – 145
     2021 – 97
     2020 – 96
     2019 – 123
     2018 – 91
     2017 – 100
     2016 – 52

One of the things that always causes a spike in the first quarter is I endeavour to pray a Stations of the Cross Friday of the year and each day through Lent. And this is the first Lent I have hit each day, at least so far. At the beginning of Lent this year I had 10 Stations I had never read. I have read 20 new ones and still have 4 I have year read, which I hope to do during Holy Week. But back to this year by the numbers:

Books Read: 151
First Time Reads: 122
Fiction: 37
Non-Fiction: 114
5/5 Stars: 111
5 Stars Fiction: 27
5 Stars Non-Fiction: 84

The first quarter of this year was great. I can state again that looking back 2016 is a bit of an outlier as late that year I switched jobs and have since had much better work – life balance. In the spring of 2016, I worked through Brandon Vogt’s course Read More Books Now (now available on ClaitasU). The year before that I removed all games from my phone and tablet and my reading had doubled. This year I received a physical Kindle for Christmas; instead of reading on my phone; and my reading has gone up again.

Here is my top ten fiction and non-fiction books of the fourth quarter of 2024.

Top Ten Non-Fiction Books:

2. 15 Days of Prayer with …New City Press - Focolare Media
3. Poetry of John Irvine
4. Great Spiritual Teachers Series - Ave Maria Press
Living in the Presence of God The Everyday Spirituality of Brother Lawrence - John J. Kirvan
That You May Have Life: Let the Mystics Be Your Guide for Lent - John J. Kirvan
6. Saint Michael the Archangel Through the Ages - Fr. Frederick Schmit O.Praem and Fr. Peregrine Fletcher O.Praem
7. The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life - Michael Dubruiel
8. Just A Minute Meditations - Pauline Books and Media
Finding Inner Peace - Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP 
9. Art and Prayer - Mary Charles-Murray - CTS Deeper Christianity Series 
10. Lent for Little Folk - Roderick Vonhögen 
12. The Way of the Passion: 40 Stations with Jesus - Julien Chilcott-Monk 

Bonus Books New Stations of The Cross:

John Paul II's Biblical Way of the Cross - Amy Welborn, Michael Dubruiel, and Michael D. O'Brien
With Jesus in Jerusalem: The First Way of the Cross - Étienne Méténier
Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus - Fr. William F. Prospero and Fr. James Kubicki
Stations of Strength: Praying the Stations of the Cross in Times of Suffering - Alice Camille 
Stations of the Cross for Young Catholics - Sister Anne Flannagan, FSP

Top Ten Fiction Books:

 1. A Stranger Among Us - Connor Gallagher
 2. Hypergifted - Gordon Korman - Ungifted Book 3
 3. Pilgrim Tales An anthology of fiction by the Catholic Writers Guild
 4. Tales From Wakken Wood - E. P. Cowley
 5. The Kidnapped Prince - Roger B. Thomas - The Chronicles of Caol, Book 1
 6. The Fixer - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Lessons in Power
 7. Begotten - Antony Barone Kolenc - Incarnate Book 2
 8. Black Dog - Dean Hamilton - A Tyburn Filos Novella
 9. The Ultimate Blindside - Leslea Wahl - Blindside Series Book 3 

Bonus Books:

Conspiracy 365 - Gabrielle Lord
April
Ted Talk - Karina Fabian - A DragonEye, PI, Short Story
Pogue Too - Edited by Liska McCabe - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 72

I have averaged just over a book a day over the last decade; and closer to a book and a quarter over the last few years. In April of 2023 I wrote a piece called How I Read So Much? Because I get asked the question so often, read the piece linked above if you are looking for some ideas on ways to read more.  

Note: I do not include books that have been read in previous years and were reread this year in my top ten lists, they are sometimes in the bonus section.
 
But if you want more options check out my favourite books year by year list.  



Statistics Books Read By Year:
151 - 2026 January-March
424 - 2025 
363 - 2024
455 - 2023 
438 - 2022
365 - 2021
317 - 2020 
392 - 2019
359 - 2018
380 - 2017 
272 - 2016 
177 - 2015 
130 - 2014 
88 -  2013
176 - 2012 
163 - 2011
302 - 2010
142 - 2009
98 - 2008
83 - 2007
191 - 2006
151 - 2005
60 - 2004
52 - 2003
97 - 2002
50 - 2001
41 - 2000
71 - 1999
73 - 1998
131 - 1997
101 - 1996


Relates Posts: 
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Reading Goals for 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2010

Top 10 Fiction Books 4th Quarter 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2010 - Recap

Top 10 Fiction Books 2010
Top 10 Picture Books of 2010
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010

Top 10 Graphic Novels for 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2011
 

Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals for 2011 Update
 
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2011 
Top Ten Fictions Books 4th Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals 2011 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2012

Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books  4th Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2013
Top 10 Books Second Half 2013
Top Ten Fiction Books 2013
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2013 
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2014
Top Ten Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2015
Top Ten Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2015
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2016
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2016
Top Ten Non- Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Fiction Books 2016
Top Ten Catholic Books
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2017
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2017
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Fiction Books 2017
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2018
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2018
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Fiction Books 2018
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2019
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2019
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Fiction Books 2019
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2020
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2020 



Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Hypergifted - Gordon Korman - Ungifted Book 3

Hypergifted 
Ungifted Book 3
Gordon Korman
Scholastic
ISBN 
9781039717312
eISBN 9781039717428
ASIN B0G8MS82WC

Hypergifted - Gordon Korman - Ungifted Book 3

I started reading Gordon Korman books again with my son. After we finished reading Restart, my son and I each picked the other books by him I picked up the eBooks, and we planned to work through them all. Last year I finished reading all of the published book by Korman, and have plans to go back and reread a few of them. My son still has about 30 of the 110 to go. This was Korman’s latest release published early in 2026.

But back to this specific volume; Supergifted. Like the first 2 books in this series, Ungifted, and many by Korman this is told is a series of first-person narratives from different characters perspectives.  The chapters in this volume are:

1: Hypergraduate - Donovan Curtis
2: Hypermisfit - Noah Youkilis
3: Hyperpiggy - Donovan Curtis
4: Hyperbaloney - Raina Overbrook
5: Hypersmitten - Noah Youkilis
6: Hyperpanic - Donovan Curtis
7: Hypercrushing - Noah Youkilis
8: Hyperboring - Darius Marshall
9: Hyperhelper - Raina Overbrook
10: Hyperjailbreak - Donovan Curtis
11: Hyperextended - Noah Youkilis
12: Hyperpoisonous - Donovan Curtis
13: Hyperfierce - Darius Marshall
14: Hyperpajamas - Noah Youkilis
15: Hyperwhosis - Donovan Curtis
16: Hypersecond-Banana - Dean Kendrick
17: Hyperbatty - Noah Youkilis
18: Hypermotherly - Arlene Pulaski
19: Hyperdisappointed - Raina Overbrook
20: Hypermountaineer - Donovan Curtis
21: Hypercurly - Darius Marshall
22: Hyperluna - Donovan Curtis
23: Hypernewsflash – Newspaper Article
24: Hyper32 - Noah Youkilis
25: Hypergravity - Raina Overbrook
26: Hyperchampions - Donovan Curtis
27: Hyperbackup - Dean Kendrick
28: Hyperparty - Darius Marshall
29: Hyperinspection - Noah Youkilis
30: Hyperdelivery - Donovan Curtis
31: Hyperhomecoming - President Aberfoyle
32: Hypergift - Donovan Curtis

About the author we are informed:

“GORDON KORMAN published his first book at age fourteen and since then has written more than one hundred middle grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times bestselling-gifted series, Slugfest, Old School, and the Masterminds series. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York. You can visit him online at his site.”

The description of this volume states:

The guys from Ungifted and Supergifted are back in their final hilarious school adventure.

Donovan Curtis, Noah Youkilis and their friends from the Academy for Scholastic Distinction have graduated from middle school, so it's on to ninth grade for everyone . . . well, everyone except Noah. Because of his super-genius status, and much to his dismay, he's been graduated from high school as well, and is sent to a summer program at Wilberton University to acclimate him to campus life before enrolling as a freshman in September. He is allowed to bring one person with him, so of course he chooses Donovan, his very own conduit to the real world. Donovan is given a job as a camp counsellor for children of University staff. What could possibly go wrong?

I have loved all three volumes in this series but this one really amps it up. A thirteen year old and his best friend on a college campus for the summer. Oh so many things can go wrong. Noah has been offered a full scholarship, and Donovan is hanging out for the summer to help him acclimatize to campus life. Noah has assignments, and classes, and Donovan has been forced to be a counsellor at the college run summer camp for younger children. He is just a LIT or CIT Leader in Training or Counsellor in Training and Raina who has been doing it for years this is her first year as a full leader and her experience is extremely underwhelming to begin. When you throw in a secret society, a frat house, and a piggy mascot only Korman could imaging where the story would go.

When you throw in an assignment to create an AI assignment that gets out of hand and you are in for a summer school story to outdo all others!

This is another story masterfully written by Korman. As someone who spent time with Special needs students who were gifted, and having spent 20 years as an undergrad, and had a roommate who started university at 16 twice, I can say this story is an epic book and does an amazing job of capturing these events. Wow what a story! I can easily recommend it.
 
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
         (formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
          (aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
          (formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)

Bugs Potter Series:

Jeremy Bloom Series:

Monday Night Football Series:

Masterminds Series:
Masterminds (2015)

Slapshots Series:
Cup Crazy (2000)
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)

Nose Pickers Series:
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)

Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)

Son of the Mob Series:

Everest Series:
The Contest (2002)
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)

Dive Series:
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)

On the Run Series:

Kidnapped Series:
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)

Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)

Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
S.O.S (2011)

The 39 Clues Series:
Flashpoint (2014)

Hypnotists Series:
Memory Maze (2014)

Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)
Supergifted (2018)

Slacker Series:
Slacker (2016)
Level 13 (2019)
...

Non Series Books:
Born To Rock (2006)
Schooled (2007)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
Notorious (2019)
War Stories (2020)
Game On (contains The Chicken Doesn’t Skate and The Toilet Paper Tigers (2021)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
The Fort (2022)
...