Squint By Chad Morris and Shelly Brown-Book Review

Squint By Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

• Age Range: 9 - 13 years
• Grade Level: 4th - 8th
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Shadow Mountain (October 2, 2018)
• Genre: Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction
• ISBN-10: 9781629724850
• ***I was given a review copy in exchange for an honest review***

Book Summary

My name is Flint, but everyone in middle school calls me Squint because I’m losing my vision. I used to play football, but not anymore. I haven’t had a friend in a long time. Thankfully, real friends can see the real you, even when you can’t clearly see.

Flint loves to draw. In fact, he’s furiously trying to finish his comic book so he can be the youngest winner of the “Find a Comic Star” contest. He’s also rushing to finish because he has keratoconus—an eye disease that could eventually make him blind.

McKell is the new girl at school and immediately hangs with the popular kids. Except McKell’s not a fan of the way her friends treat this boy named Squint. He seems nice and really talented. He draws awesome pictures of superheroes. McKell wants to get to know him, but is it worth the risk? What if her friends catch her hanging with the kid who squints all the time?

McKell has a hidden talent of her own but doesn’t share it for fear of being judged. Her terminally ill brother, Danny, challenges McKell to share her love of poetry and songwriting. Flint seems like someone she could trust. Someone who would never laugh at her. Someone who is as good and brave as the superhero in Flint’s comic book named Squint.

Squint is the inspiring story of two new friends dealing with their own challenges, who learn to trust each other, believe in themselves, and begin to truly see what matters most.

My Review

 This story was written for the Middle Grade crowd, ages 8-13, but it's truly for people of all ages. I felt it spoke to me in so many ways. Even though I'm no longer in Middle School, I still looked back to myself at that age and my experiences. Chad Morris and Shelly Brown capture this age group perfectly in how they think and act.

Flint a.k.a. Squint, has an eye disease that is basically running and ruining his life. All he cares about is his comic that he is drawing. Life hasn't been good to him with his parents both leaving and Flint now living with his grandparents.Now that his eyesight is failing him he's losing his friends, his humor and his confidence. One day a new girl comes into his life, McKell. The awkward friendship forms and blossoms into something grand. There is a lot of heartache and tears along the way as they find out what true friendship is. Both McKell and Flint also learn valuable lessons about life from McKell's brother Danny. You will laugh and cry as the two friends find their true potential in each other and themselves.This beautifully written story is one to be shared in families and other groups of young people...and also for all of those over thirteen. There is something to be learned by everyone in this novel.

Meet The Authors: Chad Morris and Shelly Brown 

Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. Neither of those plans quite panned out, so he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college. Now he’'s a teacher and a writer.

Shelly Brown loves to write books for children. In her spare time, she enjoys the theater and traveling. In addition to her five children, she has three chickens and sixty-four Pez dispensers.

Their previous book is Mustaches for Maddie. 

Purchase Squint here at Amazon