King of the Neuro Verse

Gr 8 Up–Pernell is stuck in summer school, again. This is his third summer in a row confined to cement halls instead of sunny skies. Despite his obvious intelligence, Pernell finds that his ADHD prevents him from succeeding in the ways other people would like him to succeed. So, instead of spending a summer day exercising his freedom, he finds himself recording messages to the future on a tape recorder in a school restroom. Things are not all bad, though, as he does get to spend time with his friend (and crush) Electra, until she is too busy pursuing her “dream-tern-ship” at a local record label. Additionally, Pernell is determined to be the new Cypher King of the lunchroom rap battles, utilizing his ADHD as a superpower to set himself apart from the other king wannabes. This debut novel by playwright Goodwin is written in verse, and it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect way to tell Pernell’s story. Goodwin’s words exhibit the same flow and rhythm one would expect from a rap cypher. Put this book in the hands of readers who love Kwame Alexander’s The Door of No Return, Angie Thomas’s On the Come Up, and Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down.