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Summary
Summary
Fans of Jason Reynolds and Sharon M. Draper will love this oh-so-honest middle grade novel from writer and educator Maurice Broaddus.
Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He's in special ed, separated from the "normal" kids at school who don't have any "issues." That's enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.)
When a gun is found at a neighborhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects. Thelonius may be guilty of pulling crazy stunts at school, but a criminal T isn't about to let that label stick.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-8-Middle-school pranksters Thelonius Mitchell and his best friend Nehemiah have been labeled "emotionally delinquent" and put in Mr. Blackmon's special education classroom, where they feel they're always taking the heat for things that aren't their fault (in fairness, they take the heat for some that are, too). When a handgun is discovered on the grounds of a nearby playground, the students in the special education class are the first ones hauled in for the principal's line of questioning. As Nehemiah and Thelonius work together to clear their names, they uncover information that has the power to exonerate them-but it also implicates a classmate who may not deserve to take the fall. Broaddus's experience as a teacher is front and center here; Thelonius's world and his self-awareness as he interacts with the adults around him (particularly Mr. Blackmon) provide insight into contemporary special education, and the thought processes of neuroatypical students and students with learning disabilities. Though the large cast of characters and uneven pacing makes narrowing down the culprit of the gun incident difficult, fans of whodunits with a social conscience will find lots to like here. VERDICT Broaddus's first foray into middle grade fiction is an overall success that provides a rare and much-needed glimpse into the world of exceptional learners.-Katherine Barr, Cameron Village Regional Library, Raleigh, NC © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Broaddus's middle grade debut, a dramatic exploration of middle school from the perspective of its most "troublemaking" students, brings his personal experience volunteering in special education classrooms to bear. Thelonius Mitchell, an African-American attendee of Persons Public Crossing Academy, is a "disruptive" seventh grader and special ed student prone to school pranks that don't please school administrators. When a gun is found near the school, and Thelonius and his compatriots stand accused ("you just bring in the usual suspects"), he takes it upon himself to search for the real culprit. Broaddus peoples his Indianapolis academy with all manner of adults, from well-meaning to apathetic. Its students demonstrate similarly varied motives, many of them trapped in a system ill equipped to offer the support or protection they need. Though the story captivates, the voices and characterization given to the juvenile protagonists can at times feel a touch adult. Broaddus surprises readers with an ending that avoids a tidy, just resolution, and his portrayal of complex dynamics, particularly from the perspectives of faculty, administrators, and students alike, sheds revealing light on the nature of systemic profiling, based on class, race, and neurodiversity, at schools and within society. Ages 8--12. Agent: Jennifer Udden, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (May)
Horn Book Review
Middle-schooler Thelonius Mitchell is a bright student, but he's also disruptive. As a result, he's placed in the special education class. He and his classmates are perceived as guilty until proven innocent when a gun is found near the school; Thelonius sets out to clear his classmates' names. A satisfying whodunit that inspires readers to root for the misfits. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When a gun is found near their school, seventh-grade pranksters Thelonius Mitchell and his best friend, Nehemiah Caldwell, must work together to solve the mystery before being blamed for something they didn't do. Thelonious narrates: "I've seen this movie play out many times before. Something goes missing? Must be one of us. Something gets broken? Must be one of us." On the other hand, their innocence is not so easily proven given their track record of pranks. How do they manage to pull off such hijinks as borrowing the homeroom teacher's credit card to pay for online poker? They are severely underestimated as students "warehoused" in the Special Ed room, where the revolving-door administration hopes to "fix" them instead of listening to and supporting them. This old-school system of rules enforced upon them, which Thelonius frequently compares to prison, ignores their gifts, such as Nehemiah's computer wizardry. There is righteous rebellion within their mischief; as Thelonius explains, "sometimes we have to turn the system on itself for us to get by." But that gun in the park is much more intense than their usual antics. Yet and still, they ain't no snitch. Broaddus spins a hilarious, honest tale that sees Thelonius wrestle with circumstances beyond his control and grow into a leader while doing so. His cleareyed narration describes an unjust system too many kids know intimately.Readers will love watching these two uniquely gifted black boys explore the complicated tensions between impulses and choices, independence and support, turnin' up and getting through. (Fiction. 8-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Seventh-grader Thelonius Mitchell has earned his rep as a troublemaker, so when a gun is discovered near his middle school's campus, he and his special ed classmates are unjustly accused, as usual. Thelonius might be an infamous prankster, but he doesn't cause that kind of trouble, and he has just one week to clear his name or risk being expelled. Pitched as a cross between Encyclopedia Brown and The Wire, this middle-grade noir is set in a school where kids play at being gangsters, dealing candy in the schoolyard and throwing down on the basketball court. Despite the gun MacGuffin, this isn't an issue book. Thelonius, whose insightful, often hilarious, narration guides the story, is a good kid who sees through the unfair system in which he's stuck, but he isn't trying to change the system he's trying to survive it. Broaddus, known for his adult speculative fiction, brings a welcome sophistication to middle grade, and his respect for young characters as well as readers is what makes this book shine. Through its discerning, young Black protagonist, it tackles difficult subjects with nuance, humor, and heart, always bringing it back to the characters. A great choice for upper middle-graders in search of a fun and meaningful read.--Ronny Khuri Copyright 2010 Booklist
