jbronderbookreviews

Squint by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

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.

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Author Bio’s

Chad Morris

Chad Morris coauthored Mustaches for Maddie with his wife, Shelly Brown. It is based on the story of their daughter who faced a brain tumor with humor and optimism. He is also the author of the Cragbridge Hall series (The Inventor’s Secret, The Avatar Battle, and The Impossible Race). Books in this series won the Utah Book award and the Silver Foreword INDIES award for Juvenile fiction. Chad also wrote one of the short stories in True Heroes: A Treasury of Modern-day Fairy Tales Written by Best-selling Authors. His story was based on JP Gibson, an amazing boy who faced cancer with courage, heart, and a basketball dream.

Chad grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. (Inspired by Animal from The Muppets, he has been banging on drums since he was eight years old.) Neither of those plans quite panned out. After high school, he left the Rocky Mountains to live in Brazil for a few years then returned home to write and perform sketch comedy while going to college. He graduated from BYU with a couple of degrees and became a teacher and a curriculum writer.

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Shelly Brown

A native to the ocean and transplanted to the mountains, Shelly Brown has always loved children and books so it made sense when she started writing books for children. In her spare time she helps her husband, author Chad Morris, write MORE children’s books. In her extra-extra spare time she loves the theater and traveling. She is also one of the worst tap dancers you will ever meet. But she does it anyway.

She has no regrets, one husband, three chickens, five children, and sixty-four Pez dispensers.

For more information, to request interviews or school visits, or for a press kit contact her at shellybrownwriter@gmail.com

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My Review

5 Stars

Flint is in middle school and trying to hurry to finish his comic book. He dreams of winning “Find a Comic Star” before he goes blind from keratoconus. Sadly middle school is tough enough without being bullied for going blind.

Then there is McKell, she is the new girl at school. She fits in with the popular kids but is interested in Flint. But she is hesitant to get to know him because she doesn’t want to be bullied to. But McKell has a secret of her own, she has a passion for poetry and songwriting and her brother pushes her to embrace that even if she is afraid of being laughed at.

This is an amazing story. Bullying is such a horrible thing to go through along with witnessing it and being afraid to stand up for someone. Flint is an amazing kid, very open an honest. I felt bad for him with both the blindness and the bullying. I also understood why McKell didn’t want to stand up for Flint. She’s the new girl and stands out enough and doesn’t want to stand out more. But you can’t let that stop you from following your dreams or helping someone.

I loved this story. It’s a great lesson about bullying that applies to all ages. It’s also a great message about following your dreams too. This is definitely one of those must read stories for all ages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to read and share this book.