Beware The Smart Kids

You can be smart, successful, and deeply dissatisfied. Beware the Smart Kids is a novel about why that happens—and what we misunderstand about happiness.In a town where young people spend years learning to succeed, the lesson they really need is the one their parents are hiding from. But a mysterious ex-convict is about to change all of that.Nolan Sussman badly wants two things before high school ends: to win the attention of Gabi Meyers and to find his runaway sister, Sarah. But one prank too many nearly gets him expelled. He's sentenced to spend his summer doing yard work for Mr. Barno, a former high school teacher who spent 25 years in prison.Nolan knows only one thing about the old man: his nickname is Death Row Barno. Everything else the teen hears is just small town rumor, or so he thinks. When Nolan sets out to discover the truth about Mr. Barno, he soon discovers that it's not only Mr. Barno's past that's shrouded in mystery. It's the town's past—a past that none of the town's parents can get over, especially Gabi Meyers' mom.Paterson Prize for Books for Young People Co-Winner Grades 7-12 (2025)A story for "those who feel invisible, those who are hiding their pain, those who think they'll never find the answers, those who are yearning for something but don't know what." - author Margaret Standafer"So vivid and well paced, I could hardly put it down." - Review"Compelling characters, stunning story, and plenty of twists and turns." - Review"You'll laugh and cry though the pages of this beautiful story. And you too will want to follow the Atlas." - author Annie James Thomas"Nothing short of wonderful...this story resonated with me on so many levels." - ReviewAn "all-consuming story" - Review"An honest look at teenage life in the twenty-first century." - Derek Gallagher, high school psychology teacher. Read more