Unplugged

Gordon Korman's Unplugged is a funny summer story for 9 year olds about a billionaire's spoiled son who's just had his phone taken off him.

What happens

Jett Baranov flies in on his dad's private jet expecting a fancy resort. (A magazine has just named him Silicon Valley's Number One Spoiled Brat, and he's quite proud of it.) What he gets is the Oasis of Mind and Body Wellness, three hours' drive into the woods.

There's no air conditioning. The food is all vegetarian. And the very tall meditation lady at the front desk holds out her hand for his phone, his laptop and his smartwatch.

Things go downhill from there. His first bite of the famous burger ends up splattered across the window (it's a veggie burger). Then he cannonballs into the hot spring without reading the sign!

The chapters swap between Jett and the kids who are already there, and that's half the fun. Grace loves the Oasis and can't stand him. Tyrell is allergic to nearly everything they serve (kale brings him out in hives) and is kind to Jett anyway. You get the same disaster from both sides, and both sides are very funny.

Jett is a brilliant pain. He's rude, he's sarcastic and he fake-snores through morning yoga. But there are cracks. He jokes that his dad loves the plane more than him. Matt, the young programmer sent along to keep an eye on him, is the closest thing he has to a friend.

There's something slightly off about the place, too. The grown-ups go into private sessions with Ivory, the meditation leader, and come out saying their eyes are open for the first time in their lives. Tyrell's parents are already talking about staying another month. It's a small chill rather than a scary one, but it keeps you wondering.

If your reader would rather lose a limb than their tablet, they'll probably see a bit of themselves in Jett (and enjoy watching him suffer). It's also a good one for a child who likes comedy with a proper plot underneath it.

What to read next

For another boy who can't be prised away from a screen, try Korman's Slacker. Cam is so deep in an online battle in his basement that he doesn't notice the fire brigade arriving on his lawn.