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Beware The Smart Kids
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People Co-Winner Grades 7-12 (2025)
They say it's Mr. Barno's fault that several of his students died 25 years ago.
They say it's Nolan Sussman's fault that his sister ran away 8 years ago.
What if they're right? What if they're wrong?
"An honest look at teenage life in the twenty-first century." - Derek Gallagher, high school psychology teacher.
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.
"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
"So vivid and well paced, I could hardly put it down." - Review
"Compelling characters, stunning story, and plenty of twists and turns." - Review
An "all-consuming story" - Review
"Nothing short of wonderful...this story resonated with me on so many levels." - Review
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
"This is powerful writing." - Greg Fields, Winner, Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction
They say it's Mr. Barno's fault that several of his students died 25 years ago.
They say it's Nolan Sussman's fault that his sister ran away 8 years ago.
What if they're right? What if they're wrong?
"An honest look at teenage life in the twenty-first century." - Derek Gallagher, high school psychology teacher.
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.
"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
"So vivid and well paced, I could hardly put it down." - Review
"Compelling characters, stunning story, and plenty of twists and turns." - Review
An "all-consuming story" - Review
"Nothing short of wonderful...this story resonated with me on so many levels." - Review
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
"This is powerful writing." - Greg Fields, Winner, Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 11, 2024
2 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Kushin
2 books9 followersMatthew J. Kushin, Ph.D. is the author of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People co-winning novel Beware the Smart Kids. He's a West Virginia Faculty of the Year finalist and a professor at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He's the author of Teach Social Media: A Plan for Creating a Course Your Students Will Love, and writes Social Media Syllabus, a popular blog and resource tool for social media educators.
Dr. Kushin is passionate about creating a more civil and kinder world. He is a senior fellow in the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications, where he also serves on the board of advisors.
His blog, Social media Syllabus, contains assignments, detailed assignment plans, and other resources for social media educators.
For info about his novels, follow @mjkushin on Instagram.
For content for social media educators, check out MattKushin.com, which contains assignments, detailed assignment plans, and other resources.
Dr. Kushin is passionate about creating a more civil and kinder world. He is a senior fellow in the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications, where he also serves on the board of advisors.
His blog, Social media Syllabus, contains assignments, detailed assignment plans, and other resources for social media educators.
For info about his novels, follow @mjkushin on Instagram.
For content for social media educators, check out MattKushin.com, which contains assignments, detailed assignment plans, and other resources.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 9, 2024
This book was nothing short of wonderful. YA is not often my genre of choice but I’m so glad for the opportunity to open myself up to this story. Storytelling isn’t what it used to be and I loved that this book felt more aligned a few close friends, a couple tents and a campfire. Comradery and hope.
The reality that this book conveyed was a gut punch. As someone who was seen as the weird girl and was never invited into the inner circle, this story resonated with me on so many levels. The story starts with a flare of dramatics and mischief. It was a fun introduction to a book that ended up having so much depth that sometimes it was hard to breathe.
A quote that pulled my heartstrings was, “Because that’s what I did. Pretend that my friends were okay. Pretend that everything was okay. Pretend that the world wasn’t teetering on a cliff’s edge and that I wasn’t sitting there watching it, too numb to feel anything.”
Happiness isn’t at the forefront of my high school memories but pretending sure was. This book served as a soothing balm to those memories. A way to remind me and whomever picks up this book that happiness isn’t something you find, its something that you choose. Following this MMC was lovely and seeing him overcome his own unconscious biases and to take a chance on becoming authentic.
The style of writing was direct, raw and filled with humor. It was something completely different than what I am usually accustomed to reading. That being said, I loved it. I loved that I could feel this was written by a man who knew what it was like to be a boy in high school. The slang, the silliness and the painful family dynamics was so relevant.
The mentor relationship in this book was beautifully written and I know will resonate with so many readers. The expectation of parents was another raw and painful reality. It’s hard to remember that it’s okay to choose yourself and that your responsibility in life isn’t to please your parents. The friendships were real and the situations were embarrassingly accurate.
This author went above and beyond with his debut novel and he should be very proud. Beautifully done.
The reality that this book conveyed was a gut punch. As someone who was seen as the weird girl and was never invited into the inner circle, this story resonated with me on so many levels. The story starts with a flare of dramatics and mischief. It was a fun introduction to a book that ended up having so much depth that sometimes it was hard to breathe.
A quote that pulled my heartstrings was, “Because that’s what I did. Pretend that my friends were okay. Pretend that everything was okay. Pretend that the world wasn’t teetering on a cliff’s edge and that I wasn’t sitting there watching it, too numb to feel anything.”
Happiness isn’t at the forefront of my high school memories but pretending sure was. This book served as a soothing balm to those memories. A way to remind me and whomever picks up this book that happiness isn’t something you find, its something that you choose. Following this MMC was lovely and seeing him overcome his own unconscious biases and to take a chance on becoming authentic.
The style of writing was direct, raw and filled with humor. It was something completely different than what I am usually accustomed to reading. That being said, I loved it. I loved that I could feel this was written by a man who knew what it was like to be a boy in high school. The slang, the silliness and the painful family dynamics was so relevant.
The mentor relationship in this book was beautifully written and I know will resonate with so many readers. The expectation of parents was another raw and painful reality. It’s hard to remember that it’s okay to choose yourself and that your responsibility in life isn’t to please your parents. The friendships were real and the situations were embarrassingly accurate.
This author went above and beyond with his debut novel and he should be very proud. Beautifully done.
September 16, 2024
I was so excited to get an ARC of this book, and it did not disappoint!
The first thing I thought of while reading this was that it reminded me of The Giver by Lowis Lowry. The relationship between the main character and his mentor was engaging and heartwarming. The characters are relatable and you find yourself rooting for them to learn and grow along the way. I really liked the mentor character and got emotionally attached to him and his story.
The lessons that you learn throughout the book on happiness and the struggle to find it are ones that everyone should get a chance to experience. I know that I struggled with fitting in in high school and a book like this would have been an important read for me.
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book, "If we just focus on the bad and give up, or if we run away and hide and only ever allow ourselves to experience what's comfortable and what aligns with our preexisting views, then what kind of universe are we accepting?"
The first thing I thought of while reading this was that it reminded me of The Giver by Lowis Lowry. The relationship between the main character and his mentor was engaging and heartwarming. The characters are relatable and you find yourself rooting for them to learn and grow along the way. I really liked the mentor character and got emotionally attached to him and his story.
The lessons that you learn throughout the book on happiness and the struggle to find it are ones that everyone should get a chance to experience. I know that I struggled with fitting in in high school and a book like this would have been an important read for me.
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book, "If we just focus on the bad and give up, or if we run away and hide and only ever allow ourselves to experience what's comfortable and what aligns with our preexisting views, then what kind of universe are we accepting?"
October 14, 2024
Happiness is a complex concept and can be elusive as we humans journey from childhood through our teen years and into adulthood. What is happiness in the context of grief or sorrow? Can we hold multiple emotions? Can we actively choose happiness, despite life's hardships?
"Beware the Smart Kids," explores the theme of happiness while also spinning a truly interesting tale. Every time I thought I knew where this YA genre novel was headed, it took an unexpected turn, until I was connected right there with the characters. I was running with Nolan to stay out of trouble and gardening with Mr. Barno - because adults have their own trouble to stay out of, too.
Friends often ask for books that are pleasant to read, a refuge from all the stuff life keeps flinging at us. This book offers that. Read up and move towards more joy.
"Beware the Smart Kids," explores the theme of happiness while also spinning a truly interesting tale. Every time I thought I knew where this YA genre novel was headed, it took an unexpected turn, until I was connected right there with the characters. I was running with Nolan to stay out of trouble and gardening with Mr. Barno - because adults have their own trouble to stay out of, too.
Friends often ask for books that are pleasant to read, a refuge from all the stuff life keeps flinging at us. This book offers that. Read up and move towards more joy.
October 11, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. Kushin's writing is so vivid and well paced, I could hardly put it down. This is a unique, moving story that truly captures the realities and struggles of high school students, I couldn't help but think how beneficial this would be for teenagers to read. The lessons of happiness and how to find it are woven so beautifully throughout the book along with the relationship that develops between Nolan and Mr. Barno. It is hard not to fall in love with the characters and route for them! Truly an inspiring novel and the playlist that goes along with it is fantastic to boot!
November 16, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading Matthew J. Kushin’s debut novel, Beware the Smart Kids, and what a pleasure it was. This is a story of many things, but at its center, it’s a story of identity and heart. Anyone who is raising a teenager or remembers the angst of being a teen will be captivated by the coming of age tale of Nolan Sussman. Talk about a full character arc… when Nolan meets the town outcast, Mr. Barno, he has no idea how his life is about to unfold. Through mysteries untangled, shared heartbreak, and ultimately, redemption, you’ll laugh and cry through the pages of this beautiful YA story. And you, too, will want to follow the Atlas.
March 11, 2025
I feel as if I could have been one of the characters in this beautifully written book as it is so relatable. I think we all have known people who have been misunderstood. It is an intriguing and very moving story of loss and redemption surrounding young Nolan who discovers the shocking truth about a former convict in a town torn apart by long-held assumptions, loyalties and secrets. I felt like I was experiencing all the emotions of sorrow, anger, fear, hope and happiness of this young man throughout the story. Good for all ages.
October 16, 2024
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC of this heartwarming book. Beware the Smart Kids is a story that will tug at your heartstrings and remind you of the goodness in the world. Many readers, especially those who have experienced loneliness and a sense of purposelessness during their teenage years, will find this story deeply relatable. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I truly hope this book finds its way into the hands of those who need it. I highly recommend it!
October 11, 2024
A book about finding happiness; a book read when I needed it most. Without posting spoilers, I was much like the main character when I was his age and even into my adulthood. Beware the Smart Kids will make you think and possibly reconsider your definition of happiness. I believe teenagers, young adults, and older adults will enjoy this book.
October 14, 2024
Good story. Been awhile since I have read a book on paper. I'm an audiobook person. Was an interesting read. Give this one a try.
November 15, 2024
What a great debut novel! I love how the author clearly connects to the characters he has created. They are genuine and flawed, and lovable.
December 11, 2024
Such a great read - being happy instead of searching for happiness. Highly recommend!!
December 27, 2024
Wonderful story about discovering happiness. I would compare this to a YA version of a Mitch Albom book.
December 31, 2024
A must-read book for anyone who is struggling to find happiness or who loves someone who is struggling to find happiness.
March 23, 2025
Excellent YA read!
December 12, 2025
Hello! I was inspired to write this novel because of the mental health crisis and the loneliness epidemic we are facing. Social scientists have identified gaps between what we think will make us happy and what actually does. This book explores several of those gaps in an uplifting and accessible way. In the story, the protagonist, Nolan, learns 5 lessons about happiness that are derived from social science and the contemplative traditions that can help anyone reclaim happiness and human connection. I hope you enjoy it. :)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews