Born to Rock

by Gordon Korman

Overview

A Punk Rock Road Trip for the ages from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman

Leo Caraway, president of the Young Republicans club, future Harvard student, has his life all mapped out. That is, until he discovers his biological father is the notorious King Maggot, the lead singer of Purge, the most popular and destructive punk rock band in history.

Not only is Leo not a punk rock fan, but he believes the Maggot blood in his veins is a dangerous time bomb just waiting to explode. And sure enough it does-when Leo stubbornly defends the unlikeliest of people, thereby getting himself falsely accused of cheating on a test.

Because of the blemish on his record, the once-star pupil finds his scholarship to Harvard taken away. So he accepts a job as a roadie with Purge's summer revival tour, all the while secretly hoping to convince Maggot to pay for his tuition. But life on the road is even crazier than Leo bargained for, and before the summer is out, he will finally discover the surprising truth about his dad, his friends, and most important, himself.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423141280
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/12/2013
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
File size:	439 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Gordon Korman wrote his first book at age fourteen and since then has written more than eighty middle grade and teen novels. His favorites include the New York Times bestselling The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, Book One: The Medusa Plot; Ungifted; Pop; and Schooled. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York. He invites you to visit him online at GordonKorman.com.

Editorial Reviews

Though Hammond gets off to a slightly bumpy, halting start, he soon catches the fun rhythm and youthful energy of Korman's latest novel, a fresh spin on the fish-out-of-water tale. Leo Caraway leads a charmed life as a fairly straight-laced Young Republican and A-student headed for Harvard on a scholarship. But then he finds out that his biological father is none other than Marion X. McMurphy (aka King Maggot), lead singer of the wildly popular punk band Purge. As Leo expects, this shocking bit of information brings with it some bad karma, and a misunderstanding costs him his Harvard scholarship. Only one out-there option makes sense at this point: Leo will work as a roadie for Purge, and get his father to cough up the tuition money. But life on a rock tour is even freakier than Leo imagined, and the truth he learns about dear old dad is freakiest of all. Rock fans will appreciate the short riffs at chapter breaks and the intriguing music-centric premise. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 7 Up-Leo, a high school senior and "Mr. Republican," has received a scholarship to Harvard. However, after being accused of helping another student during a test, he looses the financial assistance which he must have to enroll. Although he was talking, he was not giving answers to the other student and stands up for himself. At about the same time, he learns that his biological father is really King Maggot, the leader of a popular punk rock band. Leo manages to get a job as a roadie with the band hoping to get King to pay his college tuition. That summer, he learns who his real friends are and much more about himself. Billy Hammond becomes Leo, reading the first person narrative in the novel by Gordon Korman (Hyperion, 2006) at a lively pace and with plenty of emotion. He employs some voice changes to reflect the other characters. Teens will relate to the informal dialogue and enjoy eavesdropping on Leo as he reflects. Sound effects play a key role in this recording and are sure to please listeners. Short interludes of punk music are played frequently. There are noises of crowds, emails are read with an echo, and phone conversations sound realistic. An excellent choice.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Korman is a good date: Laugh-out-loud funny, honest, hot and sweet, he knows how to start a story with lines about Republicans and body-cavity searches in the first few pages. Leo, our hero, is a senior with a scholarship to Harvard, a tangential relationship to the Young Republicans, good, loving parents and Goth-goddess Melinda, whom he's known all his life. But shortly readers-and Leo-discover that a good deed gets him accused of cheating, loses him his scholarship and reveals to him his hitherto unknown parentage. One night's backstage indiscretion by his mom meant that Leo's biological father is none other than King Maggot, lead screamer of Purge, the band that practically founded punk, and Melinda's hero. Leo spends the summer after senior year as a roadie for Purge's reunion tour, with its standard excesses and odd charms chronicled in Leo's self-aware, slightly dorky voice. This has virtually the same plotline as Liza Conrad's "chicklet-lit" Rock My World (2005), and the two would make a great couple. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews

A high school Republican Club president learns that his biological father is the leader of the legendary punk rock band Purge. Narrator Billy Hammond helps young Leo Caraway shed his Brooks Brothers jacket and go on tour with the band to see if dad’s rebellious blood truly runs through his veins. Gordon Korman’s story puts Hammond through his paces as he imparts the personalities of more than a dozen characters. Even his female characters sound believable, an achievement that is always a challenge for male narrators. Sadly, the snippets of rock music interspersed are often lame. They could use some input from someone closer to the era. M.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

AUG/SEP 06 - AudioFile