Author: Erin Bow
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
Rating: 4/5 stars
This month’s children’s book almost doesn’t have enough room on its cover for all of its award stickers – Newberry Honor winner, National Book Award longlist, and this year, an Oklahoma Sequoyah book. Simon Sort of Says was published back in 2023 by author Erin Bow and is a middle grade book for readers aged 8-12. It deals with a heavy topic, but it has the perfect amount of humor to balance it out – plus there’s a super adorable puppy as well.
Simon is a twelve-year-old who has just moved with his parents to Grin and Bear It, a small town in Nebraska. Because scientists there are trying to find signs of alien life with radio telescopes, residents aren’t allowed to have internet. That might sound awful to a typical tween, but for Simon and his family, it’s perfect. Two years prior, Simon became famous for surviving a school shooting. Now, in GNB, because his classmates can’t google him, he is hoping for a fresh start. But even as he’s trying to keep his secret buried, he can’t outrun his trauma and anxiety. Fortunately, his new best friend, Agate, is there with him every step of the way and even comes up with a kooky plan for them to help the town out.
The comic relief in this book is just hysterical. We’re talking a blasphemous Jesus squirrel, a peacock trapped in a hearse, and police officers trying to wrangle escaped emus before dawn. For Simon though, the love from his family, his friendships with Agate and Kevin, just his journey and his healing are so beautiful and heartwarming. Everything is handled so well by the author, and now having read this book, I’m not surprised one bit that it has earned so many awards.
Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of Simon Sort of Says today!
