Dwayne ReedReseñas

7/10, feels like Karma's World, a kids show from Netflix, but executed better.

Recommended Ages: Gr. 2-5

Plot Summary: Simon, the smallest kid in 5th grade, is beyond thrilled when his new teacher jumps on his desk and starts rapping on the first day. But then, Mr. James announces the first project, an oral presentation on something in the community that is important. Simon loves to make rhymes and raps in his head, but he is petrified of speaking in front of his class. To make it even worse, he has to go on the first day of presentations, on the sixth day of school, because it's alphabetical by last name. Simon chooses homelessness as his topic after thinking about Sunny. Dad takes Simon to the community center to help serve a meal, and Simon spends some time talking to Sunny. All Simon can think about is his project and his fear of speaking in front of the class. Will he be able to pull it together in time?

Setting: Creighton Park, Chicago

Characters:
Simon Barnes - lacks confidence in his ability to rap in public in front of strangers
Maria - Simon's friend, loud, speaks her mind, eager in school
CJ - makes friends everywhere he goes
Mr. James - Simon's 5th grade teacher, raps on the first day of school in class
Sunny - a homeless man who Simon always sees sweeping the sidewalks and singing
Bobby - bullies Simon
Dad and Moms

Recurring Themes: bullying, homelessness, rap, confidence, height, friendship, family

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: This book was sweet but it moved too slowly for me. I also struggled with how he said he rhymed in front of his friends and family but I never got that impression. I thought all the well-written rhymes in the book were all in his head. I was surprised he didn't rap for his final presentation and that the bully situation wasn't solved. Overall, it was decent. I liked all the themes.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: slow - not a lot of action or suspense
Characters:
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity:

Simon needs to release his inner voice, and become the Notorious D.O.G. he was meant to be. There are time when Simon's rhyming feels a bit corny, but the book is overflowing with strong characters and heart. Simon's family equally supports him and gives him a hard time, as only 3 brothers can. His friendships teach him something new on the regular, and his sudden assignment of an oral report in the first week of 5th grade take him to places he'd never imagined he'd go.

I particularly like that while there is a strong implication that the kid who bullies Simon is homeless, they don't have the typical confrontation and hug it out scenario -- it's all just kind of going on in the background, and Simon doesn't need to call the kid out.

Feels like a very authentic inner-city kid's voice, and Simon and friends are taking on the school board, collecting signatures to try and get the funds for after school clubs restored. He makes some mistakes and has some moments of glory, sharing his rapping talent.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.

Very positive story about finding your voice and helping your community, although there seemed to be some plot jumps.

Simon has plenty to say in his head, but clams up when he has to respond to bullies or speak in front of the class - so when his new fifth grade teacher, Mr. James, says the class will be doing oral reports and Simon has to go first, Simon feels doomed. He picks a topic - homelessness - and his dad helps him learn about the problem in their neighborhood and how they can help. Simon gains understanding through talking to Sunny, a nice older man who sweeps the streets and sings; he learns about Sunny's past and that Sunny just wants people to know he's not invisible; he's happy that Simon shares his story.

Simon has a supportive family and two best friends, Maria and CJ; characters are predominantly African-American or Latinx.

Quotes

That's how it is on the West Side - anybody that's not your cousin can still be your cousin if they've known your family long enough. (24)

They're the kind of kids who make a lot of noise wherever they go, even if they're not really saying anything anybody else wants to hear. (25)

Being the youngest of four brothers and the shortest kid in every grade so far makes me used to never being seen. (40)

[rap]
I'm not really sure how to act around Sunny,
don't want to be rude, thinkin' I'm being funny. (98)

[rap]
I'm happy for my friends who help
but I wish I could defend myself! (115)

Dad always lets me be quiet when I don't have words. He never makes me feel like I gotta know what to say all the time. (146)

"Everybody keeps acting like everything is so easy. Nobody knows how I feel. Nobody understands." (161)

"I guess I just wanted you to not feel like that. Maybe I made too big a deal about trying to make you not feel scared when I should have tried to help you feel brave." (161)

This debut children's novel from Dwayne Reed is a must read. Simon loves rapping, video games, and hanging out with his friends. He is anxious about starting fifth grade and finding his place. Especially, when he is assigned an oral report the first day of school. As Simon learns about an important issue that faces his neighborhood, homelessness he also finds his place within his school. This book will definitely appeal to young scholars. Simon is a relatable character, exploring a tough issue and figuring out how to deal with bullies and finding his place in 5th grade. It is infused with fun rhymes as Simon is an inspiring Rapper and compelling illustrations. Furthermore, it is great to see more books coming out with diverse main characters. Representation is important and all children should be able to find characters that they can relate to in Children's Literature. My soon to be 5th grader and I have read it multiple times already and recommend it every chance we get. We love Mr. Reed's book and hope to see a lot more from him.

Very positive story about finding your voice and helping your community, although there seemed to be some plot jumps.