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Reviewed by: Lisa Rice, Middle School Librarian Title: Simon Sort of Says
Author: Erin Bow
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 4-8 Genre/Type of Book: J Fiction, Humor, "Tragicomic"
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Survivor of a school shooting, death, grief, PTSD, aftermath of violence, a dog that drinks beer, Catholic humor, some language Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: The cover of the book makes it look like a fun and lighthearted read. It has a boy and a dog and emus and a peacock. So how could it be about the aftermath of a school shooting? I was intrigued. I thought the title was interesting too. Upon further investigation, there is also a lot of religious humor. Sign me up, I just found my next read! It did not disappoint! If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: "Humor- and breathing- can get you through a lot!" I also really like this quote, from the book: "...it's all about optimism! And seeking connection! And meeting other people like you and not being alone." (p.274) It sounds like a good life mantra to me!
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Review:
This light-hearted, fun, whimsical piece of writing is actually about the aftermath of a school shooting and dealing with the effects of trauma. Simon and his family move to Grin And Bear It, Nebraska, (did you know there is also a Come By Chance, Newfoundland? a Cut And Shoot, Texas? Spread Eagle, Wisconsin? Tightwad, Missouri? All fun facts from the book!) after Simon is the lone survivor in his class after a school shooting. He played dead and survived but teachers and other students did not, so he is a "famous survivor of a famous school shooting," which is why when he moves, his family does not share the reason for the move. His mom buys the old funeral home in town, Slaughter and Sons. An attack peacock who is always looking for a mate (Pretty Stabby is his name) comes with the house, as if living in a funeral home is not weird enough. Simon says that everything is "pretty normal" as long as you don't need to run down to the basement for something. The book is a combination of laugh out loud funny and yet also addresses healing from and dealing with trauma, but maybe they all go together perfectly, like in this book.
In the parts dealing with trauma, the author incorporates lots of good strategies to use. For example, if the family has something important they want to discuss, they play Legos- "you don't have to look at each other and it is an easy way to fill in the long silences." Simon finds himself to be the owner of a therapy dog. As Simon says, "he has anxiety about coping with anxiety." (p.36) Breathing techniques and grounding techniques are woven into the story in a way that makes them seem like a natural thing to do. A few characters work with trauma specialists and have sensory processing specialists.
There are many fun and interesting characters. Agate, his overweight friend with Autism, has a dog that fetches Pabst beer from the fridge. Not for his owner, for himself. He empties it into his dog bowl. Agate says that he only has one a day instead of taking medicine for his dysplasia, and that he was supposed to be a service dog. Simon wonders a service dog for who- a bartender? Agate replies that he never did make it to service dog status and Simon asks if it was because of his drinking. I really hope that some of the humor in this book, including some religious humor, does not stop anyone from buying or reading this book. There is a squirrel that chewed his way into the church and ate the holy communion. He then became known as Jesus Squirrel, because with his small body weight, he was now "mostly Jesus."
There are a lot of fun facts sprinkled throughout the book. "Jellybeans are coated with shellac to make them shiny. And the shellac is made from insect secretions. Jellybeans are covered in bug juice." (p.230) Some fun facts relate to body parts and I think middle schoolers will think they are very funny.
I loved this book and I love it for my middle school library even though I know there may be parts some people (adults) cringe at. It just seemed real to me. Real humor, real reactions, real conversations between middle schoolers, and real trauma. I can't imagine there isn't someone who needs this book for their middle school students. Violence in our students' live is so real and school shootings are now an everyday occurrence. Twenty years ago this book might not have made sense but it certainly does today. I highly recommend this book.
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