Simon Sort of Says

Simon Sort of Says is a 2023 children's novel written by Erin Bow. Simon O'Keeffe, a 12-year-old boy who was the lone survivor of a school shooting, and his family move across Nebraska from Omaha to Grin and Bear It; Grin and Bear It is in the United States [National Radio Quiet Zone|National Quiet Zone], preventing anyone from looking up Simon's past. When Simon and his friends learn Search for [extraterrestrial intelligence|SETI] is on the verge of losing funding, they decide to fake an alien radio transmission to help the scientists stay funded.
The book earned a Newbery Honor in 2023 and was longlisted for the National [Book Award for Young People's Literature] in 2023. In her review of the book, Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly commended Bow's ability to handle the difficult subject matter.