Off to Class (updated edition) (Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World)

Travel around the globe to visit some of the world's most incredible schools, and meet the students who attend them, in this award-winning nonfiction pick for ages 9 to 12. This edition of a bestselling favorite is newly updated and re-released in 2022.

When North American kids picture a school, odds are they see rows of desks, stacks of textbooks, and linoleum hallways. But there are schools in caves, on boats, and on train platforms; there are green schools, mobile schools, and even treehouse schools. There’s a whole world of unusual schools out there! But the most amazing thing about them isn’t their location or what they look like. It’s that many of these schools have been able to provide safe learning environments for students who have unique lifestyles and who face tough environmental and cultural challenges.

Education is not readily available for kids everywhere, and many communities lack the resources that would make it easier for kids to go to school—but people around the world are finding creative ways to make education happen. In Off to Class, readers will travel around the globe to visit some of these incredible schools and, through personal interviews, meet the students who attend them, too. Their stories aren’t just inspiring—they’ll also get you to think about school and the world in a whole new way!