Simon O'Keeffe's biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he'd do anything to forget: the story in which he's the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting.
"Two years after a tragedy saddles him with viral fame, twelve-year-old Simon O'Keeffe and his family move to Grin And Bear It, Nebraska, where the internet and cell phones are banned so astrophysicists can scan the sky for signs of alien life, and where, with the help of two new friends, a puppy, and a giant radio telescope, Simon plans to restart the narrative of his life."--Copyright page.
"Simon O'Keeffe tells a lot of stories: Like how his family was driven out of Omaha by alpacas. And how his church-deacon dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. And how his undertaker mom occasionally has to wrangle emus. But the story Simon doesn't tell is the one he'd do anything to forget: Simon is the only survivor of gun violence at school. That story has followed him everywhere--everywhere except his new home in the National Quiet Zone, where the internet is banned so radio astronomers can listen for signs of life in space. Then Simon meets a kid who wants to give the astronomers what they've been looking for... and he finally gets the chance to tell a new story about himself. This is that story. Hilarious, wrenching, and ultimately hopeful, this story is about finding your friends, healing your heart, and speaking your truth."--Dust jacket flap
For fans of Kate DiCamillo and Jack Gantos, a hilarious, wrenching, hopeful novel about finding your friends, healing your heart, and speaking your truth. Simon O'Keeffe's biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he'd do anything to forget: the one starring Simon as a famous survivor of gun violence at school. Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family have just moved to the National Quiet Zone--the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who's determined to give the scientists what they're looking for, he'll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell. From award-winning author Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.
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