Ungifted

Donovan Curtis considers himself ungifted (the opposite of gifted). He is, instead, a prankster and troublemaker. One day, one of his pranks goes too far in causing a commotion. He strikes a statue which disrupts a basketball game. Although no one is injured, the gym is destroyed, with repairs for the damage that was done to the gym being prohibitively expensive. The district superintendent, Dr. Schultz, who was at the game, catches Donovan red-handed. However, after he jots down Donovan's name, his assistant thinks it is the list of candidates for the Academy for Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a school for extremely gifted students.

Donovan expects the mishap and his escape from punishment will eventually be discovered and feels that he will cause more stress to his already stressed household. His older sister, Katie, is currently staying with them and is seven months pregnant. Katie's husband Brad is a Marine who is deployed in Afghanistan. Adding to the pressure, Katie's mother-in-law leaves Brad's dog, Beatrice, who seems to be ill (but was later revealed to be pregnant) and only takes a liking to Donovan. However, after Donovan learns of the error that is sending him to ASD, he is filled with joy by the mistake.

On his first day, Donovan meets his classmates, and while some seem to be annoyed by him, some take a liking to him, especially Chloe, a girl interested in normal things. While Donovan continues to hide in the academy, his teachers wonder if he is gifted. Donovan joins Robotics, a class taught by his homeroom teacher Mr. Osborne ("Mr. Oz"). Donovan helps give their robot a name: Tin Man Metallica Squarepants. Donovan introduces his classmate Noah Youkilis, a skinny boy with a high IQ (206), to YouTube which proves to be addictive to Noah. Donovan also shows his classmates his talent controlling the robot with a joystick.

Eventually, Donovan learns his classmates will have to go to summer school for failing to take Human Growth and Development. To help them, he convinces his sister to teach his classmates, which eventually gets approved. Later, during a school dance at the academy, Donovan's Hardcastle friends, the two Daniels (Daniel Sanderson and Daniel Nussbaum), steal the robot. However, one of the perpetrators is thrashed by Noah, who had learned of professional wrestling via YouTube.

A little bit later, Donovan is told to go to the library to take a test, to which he feels nervous because if he fails it he could be kicked out. However, while taking the test, Donovan discovers that someone had hacked the computer and was taking the test for him. For this Ms.Bevelaqua interviews Donovan's classmates about the test. While interviewing Noah Youkilis she says that they could get expelled for cheating on the test.

Later, as the team prepares for the robotics tournament, Dr. Schultz finds a video from Noah's YouTube channel "Youkilicious" and recognizes Donovan as the boy who destroyed the gym. He goes to Academy to Donovan's classroom and tells him that he's been expelled.

People/Characters

• Donovan Curtis
• Abigail Lee
• Noah Youkilis
• Chloe Garfinkle
• The Daniels
• Katie Patterson
• Brad Patterson
• Tina Mandy Patterson (Katie and Brad's baby)
• Ms.Bevelaqua
• Heather
• Deidre
• Beatrice (the dog)
• Tin Man (the robot)
• Mr.Osborne
• Dr.Schultz
• James Donovan (Donovan's dead relative)

• Winner of the 2014 Red Cedar Award (BC Young Readers' Choice)
• Short-listed for the 2015 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers' Choice
• Short-listed for the 2013 Snow Willow Award (Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice)
• Short-listed for the 2013 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year For Children
• Runner-up of the 2014 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award
• Commended for the 2013 Oregon Library Association Best 2020 Readers Award
• Commended for the 2013 Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre[2]

Ungifted has received reviews from School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), ALA Booklist, the National Post, Publishers Weekly, New York Times Book Review, the Horn Book Guide, Children's Literature, Junior Library Guild, and Kirkus Reviews. School Library Journal described the story as "unpretentious and universally appealing".[3] Booklist labelled the conclusion as "satisfying".[4] New York Times wrote that the novel is "brisk, heartfelt and timely". Children's Literature described the story as "unique" and the novel as "easily read", "nice" and "safe". Children's Lit also recommended it for "middle school students who don't feel they belong" and as an "ideal selection for classroom study" with "well-developed" characters and "many layers of 'drama'". Voice Of Young Advocates praised the novel by describing Ungifted as "humorous", "quirky", and "feel-good". The novel was also praised as "a gem for readers looking for a story", and the plot as "touching, without being overly sentimental". VOYA recommended Ungifted for "middle school readers who are looking for a funny and quick read".