For me, the writing in this book did not feel like an authentic middle grade voice. It was almost smug and had an air of superiority that did not feel realistic. The premise was good, and I did enjoy some aspects, but overall the book was not one of my favorites.

Wonderful story. I loved everything about it. Quirky, loves or characters, great story - humor sprinkled throughout. A gem of a story.

To be honest, this book was hard for me to read. The depiction of trauma and PTSD was well written but as someone who works at a school and has been at a university while there was a shooting there was an unease while I read this.

I did like the characterization of Simon and how people reacted awkwardly towards him.

It is also hard to read about a fictional school shooting without feeling a little like it is capitalizing on something truly traumatic.

It had its humorous moments but quite honestly not to dismiss the author's experience with her children but I would turn to reading about voices of people who went through the shootings themselves..

This was a well-written book tackling the difficult subject matter of school shootings and recovering from trauma. I thought that the author did a great job writing about Simon's journey of recovery and dealing with trauma, such as using sensory awareness and his therapy dog. I also really liked the characters of Kevin and Agate, and how the author used a sensitivity reader to make sure that Agate was represented well.
I do wish that the town had been developed a little bit more. I was curious to learn more about how the town and kids functioned without internet, especially since our world has become so saturated with internet exposure and our culture revolving around social media and internet references. I also think that if this book were to be marketed toward more of an elementary audience, maybe replace the swear spellings with different words? I could see this becoming a potential source of contention with strict parents.

A funny but also sad book about a boy who moves to a town that has no media whatsoever. No internet, no phones, no connection to the outside world. The reason becomes clear as the story is told and it’s both heartbreaking and wonderful how he finds himself and new friends along the way. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Bow's Simon Sort of Says is a gripping middle-grade about a twelve-year-old boy learning to heal from a traumatic school shooting in his past. Simon and the O'Keefe family felt unique and loveable, standing out among a very well-written cast of characters in the small Nebraska town they recently moved to. Simon's journey was both difficult to read and impossible to put down as he began to open up to his friends about his PTSD. Overall, this book handled a tragic subject with humor, wit, and a lot of heart.

I requested this book because the Kinders at my school love playing Simon Says and I love good title twists.
This book was charming. Quirky. Humorous.
I loved how connected Simon's parents were - often times, I feel like parents in books are written as out of touch, distant, etc -- with all our shortcomings (as all parents have) magnified but the author went a different direction. Yes, their shortcomings show up - but despite them, they still are positively portrayed.
There are many "unbelievable" little moments that happen in this book, which lend humor and quirk. The number of these can't believe that happened moments could seem ridiculous and overdone - yet Erin Bow handles it so beautifully it seems feasible.
I love the friendships between Simon, Agate and Kevin. The small beginning of a friendship, the mundane daily bits that build it, the possibility of it fracturing -- and then the ease of moving on past it.
I love the glimpse Bow is able to shed on a situation that she says in the acknowledgements is "fictional, but not fictional enough" and how our reactions to traumatic events can lead to even more pain for those involved.

As of writing this review, I've read 2 books in 2023. This one and another by one of my favorite authors (which was also a five star). This book - currently my favorite. Read it.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a dARC via Netgalley. This is my honest reivew.

Simon's family moves to a very rural town because of the very bad thing that happened in Omaha. New school, new friends, no more animals in church for dad and mom is running a mortuary but things could be worse. He finds friends in two unusual people Agate and Kevin and together they bond over Agate's plan to fool the scientist townies into thinking that their faked radio signals are coming from aliens. A laugh out loud yet ultimately very serious story of dealing with deep trauma and anxiety through a loving family and very good friends. Humor is the best medicine once again and as a bonus you learn about SETI, service dog training and tons of disgusting nature fun facts. This would be my first middle grade audio pick for a family roadtrip. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This book has all the elements of the perfect middle grade novel: a protagonist dealing with a significant issue; quirky, diverse friends; snarky humor; and an adorable Labrador Retriever puppy. Erin Bow has woven these elements into a poignant story that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

Simon is the lone survivor of a school shooting. To escape all the media attention following this event, his family moves to small town Grin-and -Bear, Nebraska, where no electronic devices are allowed, due to scientific experiments that use super sensitive radio telescopes. Simon gradually learns to work through his survival guilt with the help of good friends: Kevin, a Filipino-American science brainiac and Hawkeyes football fan and Agate, an autistic girl who lives on a farm complete with runaway goats, multiple unconventional family members,and a treehouse that facilitates the trio's adventures. The three friends ( along with the puppy) concoct a plan to communicate with space aliens with hilarious results.

Characterization is spot on. Each teen is fully developed with believable personality quirks. In particular, Bow really captures how young people use somewhat cynical and irreverent humor to interact with each other as well as their parents. Even the adult authority figures are memorable, particularly Simon's parents. His mom is an undertaker who loses a body, while dad is a church rector who accidentally gives a holy sacrament to a squirrel. Both parents provide Great fodder for comical commentary by Simon.

The best part of this book is the way Bow integrates humor with angst. Just when the reader is feeling sad for Simon, an irreverent zinger from a character makes you laugh out loud. What terrific writing!

Simon must come to terms with unimaginable traum and learn to trust again.. He does this with the help of friends, parents, his puppy, and his own ability to see the humor in everyday situations. I highly recommend this book for the author's ability to show readers how to recover from difficult circumstances.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I knew this was a book about the survivor of a school shooting and so I expected the book to be quite heavy, and while it was at times, there was also humor sprinkled throughout the book that really helped bring an excellent balance to the book.

Middle grade is such a tricky category because it covers kids 8-12 and while I wouldn't recommend this book to a lot of kids in that age range, I do think there are some mature 11-12 year-olds that I would recommend it to, but I wouldn't put it in a 4th grade classroom library - references to penis and sperm, the peacock storyline.

I didn't read the book summary first and I'm so glad I didn't. I learned about Simon's big trauma as his new town did too. I got properly lost in Simon's head and was brought in seamlessly into a place with no internet but all the tension and drama of being in public school. If I could have flipped a switch to put this book in my hands as a middle schooler, oh would I. Erin Bow is an artist, I am forever grateful she shares her craft with the world. Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hesperion for an early read in exchange for an honest review.

This funny, unexpected, heartbreaking novel is written from the perspective of a middle schooler. It’s a truly a beautiful novel about friendship and tragedy.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DisneyHyperion for an advanced e-copy.

There is one thing that middle school students take seriously: school shootings. There are many school shooting survivors in the US. Reading a middle grade book whose main character fits that profile? It’s time.

Simon and his family are seeking anonymity. If you don’t read the synopsis of the book, you won’t know why until later in the book. However, it’s obvious that Simon has experienced some form of trauma that he’d like to remain private. He moves with his family to the “Quiet Zone.” Cell phones, the internet, and even microwaves are forbidden. Simon thinks he has a chance to remain anonymous. As Simon starts fresh - a new school, friends, finding his way around - the reader gets to know a fully fleshed out character who is dealing with trauma and anxiety, yet maintains a sense of humor. This book is well-balanced, nuanced, and just right for my middle school library. It’s on order now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to promote this book.

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
Publish date: Jan. 31, 2023

Can you imagine living without our modern comforts: internet, television, cell phones, radio? Erin Bow deftly creates this realistic town where our main character Simon O’Keeffe is thrust. Simon and his family are also recovering from a traumatic episode that is all too real to anyone who watches or reads the news, as well as school-age children who practice emergency drills every month.
Simon and his family are desperately trying to cope, while restarting life in this small, unusual town. Simon wants to fly under the radar, which seems easy in this small town without internet. But Simon is also in need of friendship. Simon bonds with Kevin, a Team Science kid who has some “forbidden” gadgets at home and Agate, a Team Farm kid whose home is preceded by the sign that reads “Van der Zwaan Angora Et Cetera.”
This book includes the humor and tribulations of a seventh grader entering a new town and new school. As if that isn’t hard enough for a ‘tween, throw in the PTSD Simon is trying to put behind him and you’ve got a great story of family, friendship, and resilience.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Disney publishing for allowing me to read an eARC of this title.

Simon and his family have moved to a new town called Grin And Bear It, Nebraska. A town with no TVs, radios, cell phones, microwaves or internet. They are hoping to escape the media frenzy surrounding the school shooting that Simon survived during 5th grade.
His parents homeschooled him for 6th & most of 7th grade and the media attention slowed some, but then d his father lost his job and the family decides to leave Omaha and the media behind.
Now Simon will be going to public school, as the new kid in 7th grade, in February.

This book is both hilarious and heartbreaking. I both cried and laughed out loud while reading.
This is a story of a survivor trying to work through his PTSD and his parents trying to deal with their own trauma from that day. But, it is also a hilarious story of:
The Alpaca Incident
Pretty Stabby - a male peacock
Kevin - who has green hair and a scientist mom with high expectations
Agate - who loves to regale her friends with disgusting facts and wants to fake a message from space
Todd - a beer drinking golden retriever
and Hercules - one of Todd's pups who is in training to be a service dog

Content Warnings:
PTSD
School Shooting (the violence is not depicted, but the aftermath is)
a few cuss words spelled out by the parents
The word penis - referring to a duck's anatomy in a non-sexual way - this is one of Agate's disgusting facts.

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this warm tale is full of heart and refreshingly free of stereotypes. The characters are all a bit strange in a well-rounded, lovable kind of way, and the underlying conflict presented by the aftermath of a school shooting is balance with scientific pranks, attach peacocks, and the unending small drama of a small close-knit community. I highly recommend this book both for the certain snorts of laughter it will bring and the meaningful discussions it might provoke.

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.