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Review Quotes:
"Goodwin's YA debut is a powerful tale about figuring out how to keep it together when everyone treats you like you're broken. Readers will empathize with Pernell's struggles as he's misunderstood and punished and his considerable facility with language goes unrecognized."--
Kirkus Reviews
Review Quotes:
* "Pernell's free verse first-person narration is always creative, sometimes chaotic, and deeply sympathetic. . . . This is a unique approach to a verse novel, both artful and introspective, which will undoubtedly resonate especially with young hip-hop heads."--
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW
Biographical Note:
Idris Goodwin is an award-winning neurodivergent storyteller for multiple generations and the author of the picture book
Your House Is Not Just a House and young adult novel
King of the Neuro Verse. An accomplished playwright, breakbeat poet, content creator, and arts champion, Goodwin is recognized as a culture bearer who celebrates community values and cultivates histories with care. Idris is the author of over sixty original plays, ranging from his hip-hop-inspired breakbeat series to historical dramas to works for young audiences. A dedicated mentor to emerging writers, Goodwin serves as associate professor of dramatic writing at Arizona State University. Find him at IdrisGoodwin.com.
Review Quotes:
* "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. A beautiful example of Black joy and the gift of neurodiversity . . ."--
School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Review Quotes:
"With verve and wit,
King of the Neuro Verse is a much-needed powerful and joyful celebration of neurodiversity, creativity, and self-expression." --Jasmine Warga, #1
New York Times Bestseller and Newbery Honor Award Winner of
Other Words for Home
Review Quotes:
"Relatable, inspirational, and unique. A story about learning your strengths and moving through life to your own beat."--India Hill Brown, NAACP Image Award-nominated author
Review Quotes:
"This YA debut . . . resonates with a relatable celebration of finding--and advocating for--one's passions and oneself."--
Publishers Weekly
Publisher Marketing:
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature Finalist
Two starred reviews!
A Golden Kite Award Finalist for Young Adult Fiction
An
"artful and introspective"
(
BCCB
, starred
review)
novel in verse "celebration of neurodiversity wrapped in bars so tight they could stop traffic" (Shelf Awareness) about a Black teen with ADHD who finds self-expression and first love during one epic summer school season
.
For the third summer in a row, Pernell is back in the classroom, facing the same struggles that have always made school seem more like a battlefield than a place of learning. This summer is different, though: he's battling to become the Cypher King, leader of the lunchroom's impromptu rap circles. Here, the rhythm flows and the words fly, creating a space where the wittiest and most rhythmically inclined reign supreme. Here, Pernell's ADHD gives him an edge.
But life outside the cypher isn't as forgiving. Pernell's English teacher has it out for him. His parents are pressuring him to see a doctor for his lack of focus. And Electra, his friend-slash-crush and the only one who truly gets him, is too busy chasing her dream internship to give him the time of day.
If Pernell doesn't pull himself together, he won't just lose the title of Cypher King--he'll lose his chance to graduate high school. In a world where the systems are turned against kids like him, Pernell needs to find a way to succeed
with his ADHD, rather than in spite of it.
Review Citations:
-
Publishers Weekly 06/30/2025 (EAN 9781665973120, Hardcover)
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Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2025 (EAN 9781665973120, Hardcover)
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Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2025 (EAN 9781665973120, Hardcover)
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Booklist 10/01/2025 (EAN 9781665973120, Hardcover)
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School Library Journal 10/31/2025 pg. 1 (EAN 9781665973120, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
-
Shelf Awareness 11/21/2025 (EAN 9781665973120, Hardcover)
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Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2025 (EAN 9781665973144, Other)
Contributor Bio:Goodwin, Idris
Idris Goodwin is an award-winning neurodivergent storyteller for multiple generations and the author of the picture book
Your House Is Not Just a House and young adult novel
King of the Neuro Verse. An accomplished playwright, breakbeat poet, content creator, and arts champion, Goodwin is recognized as a culture bearer who celebrates community values and cultivates histories with care. Idris is the author of over sixty original plays, ranging from his hip-hop-inspired breakbeat series to historical dramas to works for young audiences. A dedicated mentor to emerging writers, Goodwin serves as associate professor of dramatic writing at Arizona State University. Find him at IdrisGoodwin.com.
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Author: Goodwin, Idris
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Binding: Hardcover
Pub Date: 2025-10-14
BISAC: Young Adult Fiction / African American & Black|Young Adult Fiction / Neurodiversity|Young Adult Fiction / Novels in Verse
Subjects: African Americans|Summer schools|High schools|Schools|Novels in verse|Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder|Rap (Music)
Weight: 0.75 lbs
ISBN: 9781665973120
ASIN: -
SKU: SP-9781665973120
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