Ungifted Summary
Gordon Korman

Ungifted Overview

Donovan is a middle school student who is very impetuous. Something inside him makes him do crazy, impulsive things. At the beginning of the novel he angers the entire school when he broadcasts a rhyme mocking the school’s basketball team. During the game he sneaks out of detention, whacks a statue in front of the school, and causes a large globe to smash the school doors, and damage the floor of the gym. He is caught by the superintendent of schools, Dr. Schultz, but the superintendent accidentally puts Donovan’s name on the roster of gifted students being transferred to the Academy for Scholastic Distinction. Donovan is not able to keep up with the academics at the Academy, but he brings life and normalcy to the school. When he first arrives, he gives the class robot a name. Then he persuades his pregnant sister, Katie, to save the Academy students from summer school by teaching them Human Growth and Development, using her pregnancy as the subject matter. Donovan is eventually caught by the superintendent and sent back to Hardcastle Middle School. His friends and Katie take him to the gifted robotics meet, where he metes out justice when one of the other teams sabotages the efforts of the Academy robot. Donovan remains at Hardcastle, but is allowed to go back to the Academy and participate in the robotics class.