Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky tale of friendship, saints, corpses, and survival.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
SIMON SORT OF SAYS finds 12-year-old Simon O'Keeffe starting seventh grade at a new school in a new town, which is already a lot to deal with. But in this case, there's more: Simon's dad is a Catholic deacon (think sermons and dad jokes), his mom is a mortician (think T-shirts that say Got Formaldehyde?), and Simon is the sole survivor of a mass shooting that killed all his classmates back in fifth grade. The new town is Grin and Bear It, Nebraska, where there's no TV, no radio, no internet, because the whole town is surrounded by satellite dishes listening for signals from outer space. The O'Keeffes hope to recover and build a new life where nobody knows about what happened to them in the past. Simon soon makes friends withAgate, a classmate who's larger than her peers, redheaded, and forceful, and who announces, "I am an autistic person," separates her food by texture, and presents him with a guide dog puppy to socialize. He also makes friends with Kevin, who helps his dad in the halo halo shop while his mom nags him about his science fair project. Simon's not sure about sharing his past with them. But it may not be up to him.
Is It Any Good?
Author Erin Bow creates a darkly hilarious, ludicrously poignant tale of family, friendship, corpses, emus, and space aliens, as seen by a 12-year-old who's the sole survivor of a school massacre. Between the science, the religion (Catholic), the funeral parlor, the farm animals, the traumatic flashbacks, and the day-to-day challenges of middle school, Simon Sort of Says finds its hero dealing with quite a lot. But also finding support from new friends amid tragicomic struggles, brilliant breakthroughs, and puppy snuggles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how mass shootings have become so much a part of the United States' national narrative that they're a topical theme of kids' books, including Simon Sort of Says. Do you think reading stories like this helps you understand the experience of those affected? Do you think it can prevent such tragedies from happening again?
Do you think there are other species in outer space trying to communicate with us? If so, how do you feel about it?
Which characters show empathy? Who shows courage and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : January 31, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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