Simon Sort of Says: (Newbery Honor Book)

by Erin Bow

Kevin and me were pretty okay out in the rock-throwing field. I thought we would probably keep being okay. But by the time science is over we’re not okay. Agate was right, way back the first day we met: Grin And Bear It is divided into sides, and Kevin is on Team Science. His mom has made sure of that. The other kids on Team Science, the ones who spent the whole class looking at me: Do they know? I want to ask but I can’t, not at school. I think Kevin probably wants to talk to me about it, but he can’t, not at school. We sit together at lunch and we try to talk about Minecraft. We try to talk about the horror that is Lady and the Tramp III. We try to talk about Herc’s latest skill, which is wearing the harness that puts a handle on his back like he’s a rolling suitcase. Hercules is a little freaked out about it, and that makes me worry he’ll be in the half of guide dog puppies that can’t be guide dogs. We try to talk about that. We try. But it’s like when you get a bad sore throat, and you chew over things a little too long because you know in a second you have to swallow and it’s gonna hurt. We stop talking and I get a swallow in. I was right: It hurts. That night Kevin doesn’t call. Tuesday we don’t even get to have lunch together. He gives me a bro-punch in the arm and ducks out to practice for the science fair. Silence can build, you know. Like bricks. It shouldn’t be my job to break it but also I can’t stand it, so on Wednesday after school I go over to the Hello Hell...