Accolades

A Newbery Honor Winner

Longlisted for the National Book Award

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Winner

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

An Audie Award Finalist

A January/February 2023 IndieNext List Selection

A National Education Association’s Read Across America Recommendation

A 2024 Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection

A 2024–2025 California Young Reader Medal Award Nominee

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023

A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023

A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2023

A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book

A Chicago Public Library Kids Best of the Best Book

A 2023–2024 Project LIT Book Club Pick

A 2023 Cybils Awards Finalist

An Amazon Editors’ Pick January 2023

 

“A perfectly paced, layered novel that never speaks down to its readers and handles difficult situations with remarkable sensitivity. Bow hits all the right chords and delivers a story that is funny, poignant and—most important—hopeful.” —New York Times

 

"With an abundance of humor, vibrant characters, and a gentle approach to hard truths, Simon Sort of Says strikes a perfect balance of fun and meaning. A remarkable achievement." —Ali Benjamin, New York Times best-selling and National Book Award–nominated author of The Thing About Jellyfish

 

"Blunt as trauma, delicate as healing, and hilarious and tragic as middle school can be—each piece of Simon Sort of Says snaps together like the most satisfying jigsaw puzzle. This book is as close to everything as one book can be." —Kyle Lukoff, Newbery Honor–winning author of Too Bright to See

 

"Fast-paced and full of quirky characters, Simon Sort of Says presents a tragedy stitched up with humor, sensitivity, and rare humanity." —Jack Gantos, Newbery Award–winning author of Dead End in Norvelt

 

“A tribute to the power of friendship and the courage it takes to pursue joy in a world of violence.” —National Book Foundation, National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Longlist

 

*"An uproarious small-town comedy with a devastating tragedy at its core." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

*"Despite the weighty premise, Bow’s storytelling brims with vitality." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

 

*"Laugh-out-loud . . . a compassionate and refreshingly hopeful novel." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

“Heartwarming, heartbreaking and, it must be said, hilarious.” —National Catholic Reporter