I found Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow to be a humorous book about a serious topic--school shootings. Simon O'Keefe is the only survivor of a school shooting and craves anonymity so his family moves to a town where cell phones, internet and TV are forbidden. Being the new kid in a town where everyone else has grown up together takes some getting used to but he makes a friend, an autistic girl named Agate. Together, they attempt to fake an alien message from outer space. The characters are wonderfully unique and funny bringing a light heartedness to a somber topic.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

A good read that should keep kids turning the pages, and teachers working some of the academic details into a book talk for a class. A fair look at how bullying can make school tough for students.

A whole-hearted YES to this book. The characters are lovable and the story line is relatable. The author treats an all to real subject with care and understanding. Simon Sort of Says is a book worth sharing with upper-middle grades students and deserves a place on every classroom library shelf.

Is it possible to write a book about a tough topic that still makes you chuckle, wince, and cheer middle school characters on?

I remember the first time I read Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. If you haven't read it to your students, you need to! Here's the first line of the book's description: A brave and beautiful story that will make readers laugh, and break their hearts at the same time. Sonnenblick takes on a tough topic (cancer) and yet my students and I found ourselves laughing at Stephen and his worries, and Jeffrey's antics, while being moved to tears or silence in other parts of the book.

And that's exactly what Simon Sort of Says does to you, too.

Simon and his family have just moved to Grin and Bear It, Nebraska where the internet is banned - so no cellphones, laptops, or television - because scientists can't have interference as they research outer space. Ostensibly, they moved there so his mother could run a funeral home, but there is another reason, too, which the reader doesn't find out until midway through the book.

Simon appreciates his new anonymity and sets out to make 7th grade a year where he can fly under the radar. Agate, his new friend, makes sure that his year is anything but quiet. She's on the autism spectrum and her character is well-developed and refreshing. Simon's other friend, Kevin, is fleshed out as he struggles to deal with a mom who insists on high achievement all the time.

Erin Bow has done a remarkable job of making each of these characters feel like someone you know, and she does that as well for Simon's parents. Other characters, less developed, are still entertaining and realistic. And the peacock? Don't even start!

SPOILER ALERT: Midway through the book, you learn that Simon was the sole survivor of a school shooting in his classroom. Honestly, up until that point, I believed that his family had moved because of something he had done, so this was quite an unexpected twist for me. Bow writes honestly about his emotions, the ensuing media frenzy, and how he and his parents cope with this horrific incident.

I'll be honest. At first, I wondered if some of my students wouldn't get more anxious after reading this book. But.

But.

The book is surprisingly funny and written with refreshing honesty. And there are students who need to read this, whether they've experienced some kind of trauma or not. Students (and adults) will find bits of themselves in the characters in this book, in this strange but quirky town where everyone knows everyone else, and in this heartfelt story about something we read about more often than we'd like.

Special thanks to NetGalley and DisneyHyperion for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The book is due to be published on January 31st.

This is a story of friendship and acceptance, and a story of healing from trauma.

Grin and Bear It, Nebraska is a national quiet zone. No internet, no television, no microwave, no cell phone, and no radio. That's where Simon O'Keefe and his family move after living in Omaha. In GNB, Simon is the new kid in middle school. Dad is a church deacon and plays the sackbut. Mom is a mortician and owns the only funeral home in town. Sounds like it should be a pretty quiet existence, except for the sackbut. But the family has a secret and Simon really wants to keep it that way and escape his past. It looks like he'll succeed when his new friend Agate comes up with a plan to give the scientists listening for signs of intelligent life in space just what they are searching for.

The story was good and characters believable. I had a hard time relating to why the family was so intent on keeping their secret, and how devastated Simon was when it became known. That part seemed a little over the top, but the trauma from the event wasn't, for Simon or his parents. I could relate to that. But more than that, I saw this story as one about friendship - the kind of friendship where the friend will not only help you move, but help you move the body. And I think that middle school kids would relate to that kind of friendship, whether they have a friend like that or wish they had one.

#SimonSortofSays #NetGalley

Trigger Warning: PTSD, School Shooting

Simon is the only kid from his class who survived a school shooting two years ago, and he’d much rather leave it behind him. When his family moves to the National Quiet Zone - the only place in America where the internet and TV are banned - Simon is grateful his new classmates won’t be able to Google him. When Simon makes a new friend, Agate, who wants to fake a message to the scientists listening for signs of life in space, he’ll finally have the chance to make a new story for himself.

This book deals with serious subjects, but it’s also very cute, wholesome, and funny too. This is such a beautiful book and I loved reading it so much. Simon and Agate’s friendship was such a wonderful thing and I absolutely adored seeing it blossom. The way that Agate was so responsive to Simon, even if she may not have fully understood everything that was happening (like before Simon told her what had happened to him), she was always there to help and support him the best way she could and it always made me smile. Agate even brought Hercules into Simon’s life because she knew she needed him.

I felt like Erin Bow did a masterful job writing about Simon’s experience with trauma and anxiety, especially for the middle grade age group this book is aimed for. I’m expecting this book to grab many awards and be the talk of all the best seller lists. I got this as an advanced digital copy but this is definitely a book I’m adding on my “must buy” list on its publication day. It’s too good to not own my own copy and to not share it with everyone I can.

*Thank You Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you for publishing this honest and surprisingly funny book that realistically deals with trauma and the aftermath of a horrific event. I loved all of the characters and applaud the author's command of writing for the middle grade audience in an accessible way that does not dumb down the trauma experience. Well done! A must purchase for our tween collection!

I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading. I was at a point where I couldn't (wouldn't) stop reading. A must-have for every library.

I dare anyone to read this book and not find themselves somewhere in the pages, whether that’s the child or adult version of who we are. This book shies away from nothing and embraces everything all at the same time. In it, we meet Simon and his family. Simon survived a school shooting when he was ten years old and has been trying to recover ever since. In an attempt to regain some anonymity back into their lives, Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone where the Internet is banned as scientists search for life in outer space. And while Simon arrives hoping to forget what happened and stay under the radar, he ends up finding his voice and reclaiming his power instead. Yes, this book tackles a heavy topic with the seriousness it deserves, but it does so with a little humor and lightness, too. This is a book for everyone.

This book was much better than its description!
I laughed inordinately at the peacock commentary and I could easily have cried at other moments.
Fun application of preteen logic trails.
Also has animals.

I plan to purchase for my library.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of the book.

“Simon Sort of Says” is a upper grade novel by Erin Bow. It will be released on January 31, 2023.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide.

This story is heavy. At times really heavy. The story is told by Simon. Who is the only student in his class to survive a school shooting.

And brilliantly, the story is at times, shake your head in disbelief hilarious. Somehow intermixed with the traumatic is a stabby peacock. A herd of wild emus. A sweet guide dog in training named Hercules. A plan to send a message using a microwave from aliens. Friends. Healing.

I will not spoil the book…but everything- every little piece- works. I can totally see this story as a movie someday.

Personally, I would recommend this book starting at middle school- because of the school shooting content.

I cried, I laughed, I cried some more, then I smiled. I enjoyed this middle grade novel despite its heavy subject matter. I think it is helpful to understand the trauma of mass shooting survivors, children in particular. Well written and engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I adored this middle grade novel! I will be submitting it for consideration for my state readers' award.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

Simon and his family move to a new area to get over a major trauma that shook their lives. Luckily, their new town is in a "dead zone" of no tv, internet, or anything with wifi or radio waves. This is because the town is home to a major research lab of SETI scientists who are trying to capture and interpret signals from space. For Simon's family, this is ideal, because it may be the only place in the world where people will not know what happened to him.
The book deals with some heavy stuff such as PTSD and how different people deal with the aftermath of violence. But it has such heart and humor! I fell in love with all the characters, and was sorry when the story was over. Erin Bow has created a world I would love to return to.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! This one sucked me in from the very beginning. The author had a great style and made the character lovable despite his flaws. The family dynamic and friendships were well-developed and made me care about them and want to know how all of it played out. Also, even though I knew the general premise of the story, I loved how bits and pieces were dished out as the book went along so that you never really get the entire story of what happened to Simon until almost halfway through the book. While a school shooting has absolutely nothing funny about it, this story threw in elements that had me smiling throughout. It is one of those books where I am taking every spare minute I have to jump back into it to see what happens next. I did not find all of it realistic, but it never took away from the story but made it more fun to read. I will definitely be checking out other things this author has written and recommending it to librarians and teachers for their collections.

As a retired high school teacher, I so appreciated this book as I've been too close to people "wounded" in school shootings! Young Simon is traumatized when he survives one and does all sorts of things to forget/regroup/overcome the devastation. It's an awesome tale of redemption, trust, and moving past horrible circumstances with a family's love and understanding! So worth reading!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

There is beauty in the breaking. Simon has lost it all. In a twist of fate, a gun man enters his school and with little rhyme or reason deems his classroom will be his target. By playing dead under the bodies of his fellow classmates and teachers Simon is the only one able to survive the tragic day. How are you supposed to move on from a day like that. Yet two years later Simon is walking back into public school for the first time. Overwhelmed and afraid everyone will find out his past, he is so glad that the town he lives in has banned computers or cell phones due to the science being researched in the town. Can Simon find a way towards healing and making friends, more importantly will people embrace him for who he is or will his past always haunt him.
This is a beautiful story about recovery, and learning to trust again. I love how the family while they may struggle at times, they truly try to support each other no matter what happens. While to many it may seem misplaced, I loved the humor that is spread throughout this story. Jesus Squirrel shall forever be one of my favorite parts of this book. I think the thing we have to remember is that life sadly goes on after such a tragic event, and humor will surround us regardless of how sad we feel. Either we can take it and allow it to heal our soul even if it is just for a moment or we can choose to ignore it. There is so much just fun funny moments that keep happening to the family and while they could tear them further apart I love that they embrace those moments as best they can, laugh at them, and try to find a way to keep moving forward. Life is a crazy ride and this book truly shows that while we never know what is going to happen, there is a way forward. It may take time, but if you have the right people surrounding you one day you might be able to find yourself again.
Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title, and thank you for allowing it to be written.

This middlegrade wasn't for me. However I do think it's think it's a book that middlegrade readers will enjoy.

Simon Sort of Says speaks to a lot of middle school aged students. Erin Bow allowed the reader to truly "hear" what was inside Simon's head.

Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone, the only place in America where the internet is banned, ostensibly because of Alpaca's, but in reality because Simon is the only survivor from his classroom in a school shooting. In Grin and Bear It, Nebraska, Simon seeks to become the "now" version of himself, rather than the "then" version making friends with Agate and Kevin and maybe, just maybe, faking an alien signal to the Very Large Radio Telescope that's the reason Grin and Bear It demands quiet.

I thought that this was a masterful look at one kid's experiences with trauma and anxiety. Simon is a funny, lovable character who experienced the unthinkable and he and his parents are still recovering. Bow writes in excellent diverse characters with Kevin being Filipino-American and Agate as an autistic person. This book doesn't pull the punches when it comes to Simon's experience which, while hard to read, felt necessary. I also appreciated the Nebraska of it all, and a writer who understands that it's hard to write the rural midwest without writing about religion.