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The Usual Suspects
Fans of Jason Reynolds and Sharon M. Draper will love this oh-so-honest middle grade novel from writer and educator Maurice Broaddus.
Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He’s in special ed, separated from the “normal” kids at school who don’t have any “issues.” That’s enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.)
When a gun is found at a neighborhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects. Thelonius may be guilty of pulling crazy stunts at school, but a criminal? T isn’t about to let that label stick.
Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He’s in special ed, separated from the “normal” kids at school who don’t have any “issues.” That’s enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.)
When a gun is found at a neighborhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects. Thelonius may be guilty of pulling crazy stunts at school, but a criminal? T isn’t about to let that label stick.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2019
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3236 people want to read
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October 5, 2019
Have you ever felt deep down bone mad at the universe because it withheld information from you? Information that is, by rights, yours to have? Because at this moment I’m in that very situation. I have here, in my hands, a book. I have read this book and found it marvelous. So I am in this funny state where I’m overwhelmed with love for this wonderful book on the one hand, and engulfed in a red hot fury that more people don’t know about it on the other. Some people discover a great book and they feel this sense of satisfaction, like they’ve discovered a gem or a treasure that is theirs and theirs alone. That’s not me. When I discover a great book my first thought is whether or not enough people are singing its praises. The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus isn’t doing too terribly in that department so far. It’s received starred reviews, sure it has. But that’s not good enough, people. I want buzz. I want this book, so full of wit and intelligence, raw honesty and clever plotting, to be so well known that when I say "The Usual Suspects" to a room of librarians, their first thoughts involve neither Casablanca or Keyser Soze but this work by Maurice Broaddus. This all-too-real book.
You know that special ed class where a school will toss all the kids they don’t really want to deal with? It’s a room of troublemakers. A room of scapegoats. A room ruled by Thelonius Mitchell. With a brain that’s always working, Thelonius sees through every person he comes across, working the angles, figuring out their weaknesses. Then, one day, he finds himself in a precarious position. A gun has been found on school grounds and by dint of being the usual suspects, the special ed kids are now under close scrutiny. Thelonius is used to the world thinking the worst of him, but this is a whole other level of injustice. It’s enough to get him investigating on his own. But as he begins questioning the different factions and kids of the school, it becomes clear that there are forces at work here that would like nothing better than for him to drop the whole case. And they’re willing to go to some pretty far lengths to make sure he knows exactly who’s in charge.
In 2019, the year of this book’s publication, middle grade fiction has made a huge shift away from the fantasy novels and apocalyptic fiction of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games era. As any news channel will tell you, confrontations with reality yield far more drama than any dragon or bleak future could muster. In response, I’ve seen author after author attempt to render the times in which we live into palatable fiction for young readers. The best amongst them respect the kids. They know that children see far more than we ever give them credit for. The worst come off as preachy pablum, trying to instill lessons in great inelegant chunks. Many of these books tackle the topic of systematic oppression and racial inequities, both historical and ongoing. Some will talk about the police and others about protests and taking a stand. At first glance, The Usual Suspects wouldn’t strike you as one of these books. It’s fun, witty, and bouncy at times. Yet when you scratch even lightly at the surface, you see how Maurice Broaddus is doing something better than telling. He’s showing. Time and again, Thelonius outlines what it is like to live in a system where you’ve been labeled as a bad kid from the get-go. Constantly facing accusations and inequities, he’s shut down internally. Once in a while he’ll allow himself to have a dream for his future, but most of the time his head is full of the messages he’s been handed. His saving grace is that he can see outside himself a little. He says, “Stories are all about how they are read, not the teller’s intent. Sometimes the intent and the meaning match up, but sometimes they don’t. It’s easy to let a bad story get in you and define you. To let that version of how people see you soak in and take root, growing inside you until you find yourself becoming and acting out that story. It’s one reason I’m as suspicious of ‘teachers’ as they are of me.” And by putting you in T’s head, that oppression is more tangible than a million books that merely talk about oppression. Broaddus has just put it in terms you can understand with people a lot of kids see every day but don’t see, if you get my meaning. By giving voice to the voiceless, he’s redefining what it is to be a middle grade novel about systematic racism.
They will tell you that folks that like Jason Reynolds or Sharon Draper would like this book. I have no idea why they say this. I mean, I know why, but Maurice Broaddus doesn’t write a thing like either of them. I saw someone online compare it to Maniac Magee which rubs me the wrong way entirely. You know what I thought of when I read this book? I thought of Harriet the Spy. Not the cutesy version people who haven’t read it in 20+ years remember, but the actual book. The one about the kid who’s smarter than most of the people around her, but self-sabotages herself every step of the way. When I read this book I also thought of the movie Brick, in which a kid conducts a thorough investigation, but must wrangle with various factions at school that want to stop his detective work cold. But the thing I thought about most is actually mentioned within the book itself. At one point Thelonius says, “Moms got me into reading Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins books.” Now I have lived a long time, but I’ve never seen a middle grade author make a pass at replicating Mosley for younger readers. What we seem to have here is something entirely new.
Let’s talk compelling characters. Which is to say, let’s talk Thelonius himself. Written in the first person, he’s not a cipher but nor is he a Nick Carraway, commenting on people more interesting than himself all day long. One of the problems I often detect in first person narratives is that the main character just doesn’t have that interesting an interior life. Not a problem here. Thelonius just brims with insights, smart takes, and a jaded outlook on the adults around him. Broaddus continually peppers the book with off-handed comments that drill down deep into his main character’s core. Take when Thelonius is on the basketball court. When he has the ball, he’s a hog. And when he’s called out on this he says, “When the ball isn’t in my hands, when I’m not in control, I’m helpless. I can run around all I want, make screens, confuse the defense, but the reality is that whoever has the ball determines the action.” Look at the seeming effortlessness of that statement. There’s an elegance to the writing here. The author is trusting that the young reader will read more into that statement than what appears on the surface. That’s what I mean when I say he treats his readers with respect. Like they have brains or something.
And Thelonius, while we’re talking about him, is himself limited. He’s interesting because you sometimes have a hard time rectifying his actions with his interior monologue. You like this kid pretty early on. Broaddus should probably give seminars on writing likeable flawed characters. At the same time you (and I think child readers would feel this as much as adult) are frustrated that he’s squandering his talents on various pranks. By the end of the book you get a glimmer of a sense that he might find a way to break out of his own self-imposed limitations, but clearly a sequel (hint hint hint hint) would be of use here. At one point he says, “I’m trying to do better, but I’m not sure what better looks like just yet. I think of it as using my powers for good against a bad guy. I may need to work on developing new powers, but until then, I’m going with what I know.”
Of course, to get at the other characters in this book you have to go through Thelonius’s lens, and there’s a danger to that. If he’s too insightful then he starts sounding like an adult and you don’t trust your narrator’s voice. So the author has to walk this line between Thelonius’s deep-seated intelligence about his fellows, and the limitations of his own (admittedly magnificent) brain. Broaddus, once again, solves much of this with descriptions that say more than they say. Of Nehemiah it says, “Compared to him, I’m sculpted like an Olympian. He seems built like a collection of angry twigs.” Rodrigo Luis, “has the body of a third grader who had a diet of only leaves and water.” A particularly nasty character’s smile, “was ugly and jagged, like someone took a broken bottle and carved a slit where a mouth should be.” Tellingly, Thelonius is best at understanding people when they’re young. Adults throw him for more of a curve. He can’t separate their actions and intentions from the system they’ve signed on to and it makes him permanently skeptical of their actions. He loves his mom (who is a powerhouse of a woman that probably deserves a book of her own) but anyone in his school or associated with his school is immediately on watch in his eyes.
We all have our preferences in the books we read. My preference is towards middle grade novels filled with sentences that pop off the page and dance around for a while. Honestly, you could not have constructed in a lab a book as jam packed with sentences more delicious than the ones found here. Some of my favorite examples:
- When Thelonius’s mom gets off the phone with Nehemiah’s mom or grandma, “After a few minutes on the line with them, she stared at our phone like it was an alien tongue trying to lick her.”
- Nehemiah’s grandma, “wears misery for makeup and chugs bitterness for vitamins.”
- Of a fellow student, “his hair is a series of short dreds in need of tightening that stand nearly straight up so it looks like he’s wearing a fallen crown.”
- “Nehemiah bounces his Teddy Grahams package off my chest. He hates them because he ‘never trusts anything that smiles all the time’.”
- “That girl can’t find a maternal bone in a cemetery of mothers.”
At one point in the book Thelonius talks about the difference between himself and the kids that are beloved by the teachers. The ones that obey all the rules without question. He says, “they’re always going to fit in. Nothing wrong with that. We just come at the world different because it comes at us different. It comes hard, we go hard. We don’t fit in with how the system wants to define us and sometimes we have to turn the system on itself for us to get by.” Even the adults that want to help are held back by this same system, and in many ways it’s the small changes Thelonius makes at the end, and not the solution to the mystery, that’s the real success. You want to know the real reason I compare this book to Harriet the Spy? Because it feels like the author is handing truths to the kids reading it, completely bypassing the adults of the world. It feels sneaky. I can see a kid gleaming truths from these pages that they have NEVER encountered anywhere, with the possible exception of their own brains. I can see adults becoming uncomfortable with just how much honesty is on display here. It gives away the game, this book does. It’s always a good idea to sometimes read a book that’s smarter than you are, starring a kid that’s smarter than the world around him. You know why I haven’t heard more people talking about this book? Because nobody knows how to sell it. Well, sorry folks, but the secret is out now. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read for kids, and maybe the best school rated children’s novel I’ve encountered period. This, right here, is the book of our times.
For ages 9-12.
You know that special ed class where a school will toss all the kids they don’t really want to deal with? It’s a room of troublemakers. A room of scapegoats. A room ruled by Thelonius Mitchell. With a brain that’s always working, Thelonius sees through every person he comes across, working the angles, figuring out their weaknesses. Then, one day, he finds himself in a precarious position. A gun has been found on school grounds and by dint of being the usual suspects, the special ed kids are now under close scrutiny. Thelonius is used to the world thinking the worst of him, but this is a whole other level of injustice. It’s enough to get him investigating on his own. But as he begins questioning the different factions and kids of the school, it becomes clear that there are forces at work here that would like nothing better than for him to drop the whole case. And they’re willing to go to some pretty far lengths to make sure he knows exactly who’s in charge.
In 2019, the year of this book’s publication, middle grade fiction has made a huge shift away from the fantasy novels and apocalyptic fiction of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games era. As any news channel will tell you, confrontations with reality yield far more drama than any dragon or bleak future could muster. In response, I’ve seen author after author attempt to render the times in which we live into palatable fiction for young readers. The best amongst them respect the kids. They know that children see far more than we ever give them credit for. The worst come off as preachy pablum, trying to instill lessons in great inelegant chunks. Many of these books tackle the topic of systematic oppression and racial inequities, both historical and ongoing. Some will talk about the police and others about protests and taking a stand. At first glance, The Usual Suspects wouldn’t strike you as one of these books. It’s fun, witty, and bouncy at times. Yet when you scratch even lightly at the surface, you see how Maurice Broaddus is doing something better than telling. He’s showing. Time and again, Thelonius outlines what it is like to live in a system where you’ve been labeled as a bad kid from the get-go. Constantly facing accusations and inequities, he’s shut down internally. Once in a while he’ll allow himself to have a dream for his future, but most of the time his head is full of the messages he’s been handed. His saving grace is that he can see outside himself a little. He says, “Stories are all about how they are read, not the teller’s intent. Sometimes the intent and the meaning match up, but sometimes they don’t. It’s easy to let a bad story get in you and define you. To let that version of how people see you soak in and take root, growing inside you until you find yourself becoming and acting out that story. It’s one reason I’m as suspicious of ‘teachers’ as they are of me.” And by putting you in T’s head, that oppression is more tangible than a million books that merely talk about oppression. Broaddus has just put it in terms you can understand with people a lot of kids see every day but don’t see, if you get my meaning. By giving voice to the voiceless, he’s redefining what it is to be a middle grade novel about systematic racism.
They will tell you that folks that like Jason Reynolds or Sharon Draper would like this book. I have no idea why they say this. I mean, I know why, but Maurice Broaddus doesn’t write a thing like either of them. I saw someone online compare it to Maniac Magee which rubs me the wrong way entirely. You know what I thought of when I read this book? I thought of Harriet the Spy. Not the cutesy version people who haven’t read it in 20+ years remember, but the actual book. The one about the kid who’s smarter than most of the people around her, but self-sabotages herself every step of the way. When I read this book I also thought of the movie Brick, in which a kid conducts a thorough investigation, but must wrangle with various factions at school that want to stop his detective work cold. But the thing I thought about most is actually mentioned within the book itself. At one point Thelonius says, “Moms got me into reading Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins books.” Now I have lived a long time, but I’ve never seen a middle grade author make a pass at replicating Mosley for younger readers. What we seem to have here is something entirely new.
Let’s talk compelling characters. Which is to say, let’s talk Thelonius himself. Written in the first person, he’s not a cipher but nor is he a Nick Carraway, commenting on people more interesting than himself all day long. One of the problems I often detect in first person narratives is that the main character just doesn’t have that interesting an interior life. Not a problem here. Thelonius just brims with insights, smart takes, and a jaded outlook on the adults around him. Broaddus continually peppers the book with off-handed comments that drill down deep into his main character’s core. Take when Thelonius is on the basketball court. When he has the ball, he’s a hog. And when he’s called out on this he says, “When the ball isn’t in my hands, when I’m not in control, I’m helpless. I can run around all I want, make screens, confuse the defense, but the reality is that whoever has the ball determines the action.” Look at the seeming effortlessness of that statement. There’s an elegance to the writing here. The author is trusting that the young reader will read more into that statement than what appears on the surface. That’s what I mean when I say he treats his readers with respect. Like they have brains or something.
And Thelonius, while we’re talking about him, is himself limited. He’s interesting because you sometimes have a hard time rectifying his actions with his interior monologue. You like this kid pretty early on. Broaddus should probably give seminars on writing likeable flawed characters. At the same time you (and I think child readers would feel this as much as adult) are frustrated that he’s squandering his talents on various pranks. By the end of the book you get a glimmer of a sense that he might find a way to break out of his own self-imposed limitations, but clearly a sequel (hint hint hint hint) would be of use here. At one point he says, “I’m trying to do better, but I’m not sure what better looks like just yet. I think of it as using my powers for good against a bad guy. I may need to work on developing new powers, but until then, I’m going with what I know.”
Of course, to get at the other characters in this book you have to go through Thelonius’s lens, and there’s a danger to that. If he’s too insightful then he starts sounding like an adult and you don’t trust your narrator’s voice. So the author has to walk this line between Thelonius’s deep-seated intelligence about his fellows, and the limitations of his own (admittedly magnificent) brain. Broaddus, once again, solves much of this with descriptions that say more than they say. Of Nehemiah it says, “Compared to him, I’m sculpted like an Olympian. He seems built like a collection of angry twigs.” Rodrigo Luis, “has the body of a third grader who had a diet of only leaves and water.” A particularly nasty character’s smile, “was ugly and jagged, like someone took a broken bottle and carved a slit where a mouth should be.” Tellingly, Thelonius is best at understanding people when they’re young. Adults throw him for more of a curve. He can’t separate their actions and intentions from the system they’ve signed on to and it makes him permanently skeptical of their actions. He loves his mom (who is a powerhouse of a woman that probably deserves a book of her own) but anyone in his school or associated with his school is immediately on watch in his eyes.
We all have our preferences in the books we read. My preference is towards middle grade novels filled with sentences that pop off the page and dance around for a while. Honestly, you could not have constructed in a lab a book as jam packed with sentences more delicious than the ones found here. Some of my favorite examples:
- When Thelonius’s mom gets off the phone with Nehemiah’s mom or grandma, “After a few minutes on the line with them, she stared at our phone like it was an alien tongue trying to lick her.”
- Nehemiah’s grandma, “wears misery for makeup and chugs bitterness for vitamins.”
- Of a fellow student, “his hair is a series of short dreds in need of tightening that stand nearly straight up so it looks like he’s wearing a fallen crown.”
- “Nehemiah bounces his Teddy Grahams package off my chest. He hates them because he ‘never trusts anything that smiles all the time’.”
- “That girl can’t find a maternal bone in a cemetery of mothers.”
At one point in the book Thelonius talks about the difference between himself and the kids that are beloved by the teachers. The ones that obey all the rules without question. He says, “they’re always going to fit in. Nothing wrong with that. We just come at the world different because it comes at us different. It comes hard, we go hard. We don’t fit in with how the system wants to define us and sometimes we have to turn the system on itself for us to get by.” Even the adults that want to help are held back by this same system, and in many ways it’s the small changes Thelonius makes at the end, and not the solution to the mystery, that’s the real success. You want to know the real reason I compare this book to Harriet the Spy? Because it feels like the author is handing truths to the kids reading it, completely bypassing the adults of the world. It feels sneaky. I can see a kid gleaming truths from these pages that they have NEVER encountered anywhere, with the possible exception of their own brains. I can see adults becoming uncomfortable with just how much honesty is on display here. It gives away the game, this book does. It’s always a good idea to sometimes read a book that’s smarter than you are, starring a kid that’s smarter than the world around him. You know why I haven’t heard more people talking about this book? Because nobody knows how to sell it. Well, sorry folks, but the secret is out now. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read for kids, and maybe the best school rated children’s novel I’ve encountered period. This, right here, is the book of our times.
For ages 9-12.
November 29, 2020
This book us real and honest and sometimes raw and will open eyes. We don't often get a character like Thelonius, who is underestimated by everyone, especially himself. And lets not forget that there's a mystery here--one that Thelonius will not give up on trying to solve. Thought-provoking.
May 3, 2023
Thelonius and the rest of his class are the special Ed group; they're a bunch of neurotypical kids, with a variety of labels applied to them, some psychological, others not particularly kind. Whenever there's a problem in school, the adults look to these kids first as possible culprits. Thelonius is partially responsible to drawing adult eyes to them all; he is a prankster, but nothing he has done has been malicious or dangerous.
So, it's no surprise that when a gun is found near school grounds, the principal comes to talk to the class. Thelonius decides to investigate people in the school before authorities decide it was someone from the special Ed class, particularly when so many of them have behaviours outside ‘“the norm”, and that could be seen as purely violent.
Thelonius knows his tendency to act out because his teachers expect it of him does prejudice them against him. He’s insightful, and very aware that his reputation and those of his classmates is against them, no matter none of them has ever done anthing dangerous to others.
The story has a bit of noir detective feel to it, and Thelonius uses his smarts and mostly realistic assessments of the adults around him to work his way through problems. He's flawed, unable at times to consistently make good choices, but he's insightful, funny, and a good friend. Maurice Broaddus has created a wonderful character in Thelonius, and this was an interesting book, with a resolution to the mystery that I both expected and didn't.
So, it's no surprise that when a gun is found near school grounds, the principal comes to talk to the class. Thelonius decides to investigate people in the school before authorities decide it was someone from the special Ed class, particularly when so many of them have behaviours outside ‘“the norm”, and that could be seen as purely violent.
Thelonius knows his tendency to act out because his teachers expect it of him does prejudice them against him. He’s insightful, and very aware that his reputation and those of his classmates is against them, no matter none of them has ever done anthing dangerous to others.
The story has a bit of noir detective feel to it, and Thelonius uses his smarts and mostly realistic assessments of the adults around him to work his way through problems. He's flawed, unable at times to consistently make good choices, but he's insightful, funny, and a good friend. Maurice Broaddus has created a wonderful character in Thelonius, and this was an interesting book, with a resolution to the mystery that I both expected and didn't.
October 11, 2023
This was like if Long Division and Arcade and the Triple T Token had a half brother. Slid right in for Blackoween understanding the assignment! Middle grade just hits different especially when the author gives a damn about the target audience. I do wonder what middle schoolers think of this book though. I feel like the author showed them so much care and respect with the tough topics discussed within. It’s short enough that I don’t think reluctant readers would feel overwhelmed either. Definitely pick this up if you liked the 2 books I mentioned earlier!
February 13, 2019
Review copy courtesy of Edelweiss.
Cannot wait to buy this for my library, and I think it is a must buy for urban classrooms and libraries in middle school settings. This is a noir tale told by the boy who is always getting in trouble - so much, in fact, he spends almost his entire day in his pull-out special education classroom. When someone brings a gun to school and Thelonius and his friends in their class are blamed, he decides to investigate on his own and find the true culprit. The story is funny, creative, and interesting, and feels realistically fresh.
Cannot wait to buy this for my library, and I think it is a must buy for urban classrooms and libraries in middle school settings. This is a noir tale told by the boy who is always getting in trouble - so much, in fact, he spends almost his entire day in his pull-out special education classroom. When someone brings a gun to school and Thelonius and his friends in their class are blamed, he decides to investigate on his own and find the true culprit. The story is funny, creative, and interesting, and feels realistically fresh.
May 22, 2019
This book is a middle grade crime thriller that is always engaging and never pedantic, beginning with the crime itself. This is isn't the case of the missing school trophy or a cookie caper. Broaddus is writing about some real stuff: a gun has been found in a park near school where our heroes hang out with other kids and everyone's a suspect... except that mostly the teachers suspect Thelonius Mitchell and his friends because they're, wait for it, the usual suspects. To clear their name, Thelonius and his friends must discover the true culprit (it's probably Keyser Soze).
Like the best Elmore Leonard fiction, which the author makes clear in his notes he's emulating, The Usual Suspects is all about a classic crime set up populated by compelling characters, beginning with our main character, Thelonius Mitchell:
So I'm back in the principal's office once again. Due to "my escalating antics" I'm here a lot. Some teachers float the idea that I have oppositional defiant disorder (sometimes I think they just say that about kids who say no to whenever adults tell them to do something, in which case, I have a severe case of it, as does every middle schooler I know). Some keep trying to say that I have bipolar disorder (because my shnanigans are so over-the-top). None of them is a doctor and just wants to sweep me and my issues under the rug. Moms scheduled an exam for me to get tested, but with our insurance, it's over a month out. Until then, I have to spend the rest of the quarter in the Special Ed room.
Thelonius is clever and insightful. He's good at understanding relationship dynamics and how to manipulate them, yet he's far from a criminal mastermind:
Whenever I try to polish my voice like Pierce, I always sound like a con artist on the prowl. Adults grow suspicious and know I am up to something, but they have no proof and need to see whatever I am up to play out. I might as well be a thief sending a note daring the cops to stop me from robbing a joint.
Thelonius is our perspective character, naturally, as this is a story told in the first person present tense, but my favorite character is his friend, Nehemiah Caldwell. Nehemiah also has some issues, including a whole lot of pent up anger, but he made me smile in most every scene he's in. Everyone agrees that Nehemiah couldn't have been the one to leave the gun in the park because if he'd had a gun, he'd have waved it at everyone. Also, Nehemiah's distrust of Teddy Grahams might be my favorite character detail in the book:
Nehemiah bounces his Teddy Grahams package off my chest. He hates them because he "never trusts anything that smiles all the time."
There are a lot of excellent characters populating this story. We're not going to go through each of them one by one, but I would mention just a few more. We'll talk about Marcel in a moment, but first I want to talk about the teachers in this book. Thelonius knows better than to trust any of them, even Mr. Blackmon, who appears to be the most trustworthy. After all, T tells us, "Lying to adults is how we breathe."
But Thelonius does know how to work his teachers: Teachers are like people: if you annoy them, by the time you need something they'll automatically say no just to spite you. Do what they want or make their job easier, they are quick to reward you.
The teachers in this story aren't monolithic villains. In fact, Broaddus goes out of his way to show that in some ways, they're as trapped by the social system of control put in place as the boys are. But they do demonstrate villainous qualities on occasion:
Mrs. Horner rarely comes at things directly. She keeps things vague, saying that she doesn't want to limit our creativity. It's more likely that she wants us to accidentally tell on ourselves.
Mrs. Fitzerald has a swagger to her. A bit of a gangster vibe. She wanders the halls with a beaming smile, but she has a resting teacher face with her eyes narrow like unflinching lasers.
The teachers range from honestly trying to make a positive impact in their students' lives to completely disengaged (one of them is on her phone checking Facebook all day) to outright hostile toward the students and our heroes. Broaddus' observations about teachers are probably based on his years of experience working in education, and that honest look at teacher student dynamics is one of the strongest aspects of The Usual Suspects.
There's one other character readers are going to love and no review would be complete without mentioning her:
Her dad, a black dude, is a scientist who often visits her class to talk about his work. Her mom, a white lady, is the president of the PTA who also bakes a mean batch of brownies come school fund-raising season. If Marcel came from money, she never acted like it. Marcel always received straight A's. By all reports, she was the best-behaved kid in the class. But I know better. The quiet ones are the ones everyone really has to watch out for. You see, an obvious stickup thug might get a wallet or two. Put them in bankers' suits and they were robbing folks for millions on Wall Street.
Marcel was strictly Wall Street.
Marcel is a cool customer. I can't tell you a whole lot about her without spoiling some specific plot details, but readers are going to find her fascinating. And more interesting to me at this moment is the first two lines of her description, which are about her parents. To the best of my recollection, Marcel's mom is the first "white lady" in the story.
Not every character's race is specified, but most of the character's who's coloring is mentioned are described as having skin "the shade of sunbaked cinnamon," or "the color of rich sepia," or "the complexion of milk with a dab of butter in it." The effect of this is that "not white" becomes the readers' default assumption about which race each character is, a refreshing change of pace, especially for a middle grade novel coming out of Indiana (former home of the head of the Klan not nearly long enough ago).
The Usual Suspects isn't about race, exactly, but it's not not about race. Just like it's not strictly about kids with special needs, but it's not not about them:
Moms explained what she has, something about being on the autism spectrum. I hear so many labels placed on me and my friends, I tune them out.
On its surface, The Usual Suspects is a fun middle grade crime novel with memorable characters and a quality mystery to be solved. Esteemed Readers looking for a good story well told will absolutely find it here and will join me in hoping Maurice Broaddus publishes more middle grade novels right away. We need as many of them as we can get.
But The Usual Suspects is really about multiple intersecting social dynamics and how they can trap and label all of us, not just the kids perceived as troublemakers, but also their teachers, their parents, other children in the neighborhood, and so on. Because all of us have assumptions made about us based on the broad categories society has placed us in. All of us are suspect.
Do yourself a favor, Esteemed Reader, and get yourself a copy of The Usual Suspects. It's themes are universal and you will be captivated by Broaddus' style and structure and his ability to present authentic characters in relatable situations.
More, if there's a problem child in you life, they need to read this book. I wish this book had been around when I was an adolescent and automatically suspected of wrongdoing by some of my teachers (I wasn't always a fine, upstanding Ninja). I don't know that it would've necessarily changed much for me (young me was pretty committed to being troublesome), but sometimes it's enough to know that someone else understands the experience and can relate.
As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from The Usual Suspects:
I catch myself as my hand moves to my chest to protest my innocence. That kind of theatricality would be insulting to both of us.
That girl can't find a maternal bone in a cemetery of mothers.
"I'm better than his momma. I'm actually here." Moms lets that line sit in everyone's ear for a minute, like she wants it to travel the neighborhood, before she continues.
Some still go on about the hottest Pokemon cards. They are so sixth grade.
Twon knocks over another chair like Superman casually tossing a tank.
One kid lingers by the pencil sharpener opposite from us. Marquees Neal. "Kutter" to (what few people he called) his friends. His hair is a crown of twists, nesting baby snakes poised to strike. His eyes seem perpetually narrowed, like jagged scars.
Like the best Elmore Leonard fiction, which the author makes clear in his notes he's emulating, The Usual Suspects is all about a classic crime set up populated by compelling characters, beginning with our main character, Thelonius Mitchell:
So I'm back in the principal's office once again. Due to "my escalating antics" I'm here a lot. Some teachers float the idea that I have oppositional defiant disorder (sometimes I think they just say that about kids who say no to whenever adults tell them to do something, in which case, I have a severe case of it, as does every middle schooler I know). Some keep trying to say that I have bipolar disorder (because my shnanigans are so over-the-top). None of them is a doctor and just wants to sweep me and my issues under the rug. Moms scheduled an exam for me to get tested, but with our insurance, it's over a month out. Until then, I have to spend the rest of the quarter in the Special Ed room.
Thelonius is clever and insightful. He's good at understanding relationship dynamics and how to manipulate them, yet he's far from a criminal mastermind:
Whenever I try to polish my voice like Pierce, I always sound like a con artist on the prowl. Adults grow suspicious and know I am up to something, but they have no proof and need to see whatever I am up to play out. I might as well be a thief sending a note daring the cops to stop me from robbing a joint.
Thelonius is our perspective character, naturally, as this is a story told in the first person present tense, but my favorite character is his friend, Nehemiah Caldwell. Nehemiah also has some issues, including a whole lot of pent up anger, but he made me smile in most every scene he's in. Everyone agrees that Nehemiah couldn't have been the one to leave the gun in the park because if he'd had a gun, he'd have waved it at everyone. Also, Nehemiah's distrust of Teddy Grahams might be my favorite character detail in the book:
Nehemiah bounces his Teddy Grahams package off my chest. He hates them because he "never trusts anything that smiles all the time."
There are a lot of excellent characters populating this story. We're not going to go through each of them one by one, but I would mention just a few more. We'll talk about Marcel in a moment, but first I want to talk about the teachers in this book. Thelonius knows better than to trust any of them, even Mr. Blackmon, who appears to be the most trustworthy. After all, T tells us, "Lying to adults is how we breathe."
But Thelonius does know how to work his teachers: Teachers are like people: if you annoy them, by the time you need something they'll automatically say no just to spite you. Do what they want or make their job easier, they are quick to reward you.
The teachers in this story aren't monolithic villains. In fact, Broaddus goes out of his way to show that in some ways, they're as trapped by the social system of control put in place as the boys are. But they do demonstrate villainous qualities on occasion:
Mrs. Horner rarely comes at things directly. She keeps things vague, saying that she doesn't want to limit our creativity. It's more likely that she wants us to accidentally tell on ourselves.
Mrs. Fitzerald has a swagger to her. A bit of a gangster vibe. She wanders the halls with a beaming smile, but she has a resting teacher face with her eyes narrow like unflinching lasers.
The teachers range from honestly trying to make a positive impact in their students' lives to completely disengaged (one of them is on her phone checking Facebook all day) to outright hostile toward the students and our heroes. Broaddus' observations about teachers are probably based on his years of experience working in education, and that honest look at teacher student dynamics is one of the strongest aspects of The Usual Suspects.
There's one other character readers are going to love and no review would be complete without mentioning her:
Her dad, a black dude, is a scientist who often visits her class to talk about his work. Her mom, a white lady, is the president of the PTA who also bakes a mean batch of brownies come school fund-raising season. If Marcel came from money, she never acted like it. Marcel always received straight A's. By all reports, she was the best-behaved kid in the class. But I know better. The quiet ones are the ones everyone really has to watch out for. You see, an obvious stickup thug might get a wallet or two. Put them in bankers' suits and they were robbing folks for millions on Wall Street.
Marcel was strictly Wall Street.
Marcel is a cool customer. I can't tell you a whole lot about her without spoiling some specific plot details, but readers are going to find her fascinating. And more interesting to me at this moment is the first two lines of her description, which are about her parents. To the best of my recollection, Marcel's mom is the first "white lady" in the story.
Not every character's race is specified, but most of the character's who's coloring is mentioned are described as having skin "the shade of sunbaked cinnamon," or "the color of rich sepia," or "the complexion of milk with a dab of butter in it." The effect of this is that "not white" becomes the readers' default assumption about which race each character is, a refreshing change of pace, especially for a middle grade novel coming out of Indiana (former home of the head of the Klan not nearly long enough ago).
The Usual Suspects isn't about race, exactly, but it's not not about race. Just like it's not strictly about kids with special needs, but it's not not about them:
Moms explained what she has, something about being on the autism spectrum. I hear so many labels placed on me and my friends, I tune them out.
On its surface, The Usual Suspects is a fun middle grade crime novel with memorable characters and a quality mystery to be solved. Esteemed Readers looking for a good story well told will absolutely find it here and will join me in hoping Maurice Broaddus publishes more middle grade novels right away. We need as many of them as we can get.
But The Usual Suspects is really about multiple intersecting social dynamics and how they can trap and label all of us, not just the kids perceived as troublemakers, but also their teachers, their parents, other children in the neighborhood, and so on. Because all of us have assumptions made about us based on the broad categories society has placed us in. All of us are suspect.
Do yourself a favor, Esteemed Reader, and get yourself a copy of The Usual Suspects. It's themes are universal and you will be captivated by Broaddus' style and structure and his ability to present authentic characters in relatable situations.
More, if there's a problem child in you life, they need to read this book. I wish this book had been around when I was an adolescent and automatically suspected of wrongdoing by some of my teachers (I wasn't always a fine, upstanding Ninja). I don't know that it would've necessarily changed much for me (young me was pretty committed to being troublesome), but sometimes it's enough to know that someone else understands the experience and can relate.
As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from The Usual Suspects:
I catch myself as my hand moves to my chest to protest my innocence. That kind of theatricality would be insulting to both of us.
That girl can't find a maternal bone in a cemetery of mothers.
"I'm better than his momma. I'm actually here." Moms lets that line sit in everyone's ear for a minute, like she wants it to travel the neighborhood, before she continues.
Some still go on about the hottest Pokemon cards. They are so sixth grade.
Twon knocks over another chair like Superman casually tossing a tank.
One kid lingers by the pencil sharpener opposite from us. Marquees Neal. "Kutter" to (what few people he called) his friends. His hair is a crown of twists, nesting baby snakes poised to strike. His eyes seem perpetually narrowed, like jagged scars.
April 11, 2025
4.25 As a special education teacher, I was interested in this book. There were parts that were tough to read as the reality is that students who receive special education support are still seen as less than and troublemakers.
This book was a good read and with many complex characters.
This book was a good read and with many complex characters.
July 4, 2021
I wanted something casual and light-hearted. This book served that purpose. It was pleasant enough though not transformative - which is not a bad thing at all. It was a good book that I feel kids, especially kids like the main character Thelonius, would like.
The major theme underlying everything is how kids aren’t given a fair shake. Thelonius is an intelligent, forthright young man who is judged ten times as hard for his mistakes because he has a reputation. And while Thelonius has done some less than savory things, the point is that he shouldn’t automatically be blamed for anything that goes wrong in the school - everyone should be innocent until proven guilty, after all. Adults should take into account previous actions when trying to reason out who could have done something, but, they should also be willing to genuinely listen and readjust their assumptions as well.
Race plays heavily into this as Black kids are punished twice as hard and often as their white counterparts for the same offences. And once a Black kid garners a ‘reputation’ mistreatment is now justified in the eyes of the racist institution creating a self-fulfilling cycle - why bother working to fight their misconceptions about you when the teachers, principal, parents, etc will refuse to change their position as a means of maintaining the status quo? It’s easier to deny the racism and injustice than it is to work on deconstructing it.
At the same time kids have to be willing to meet the adults where they are - which I do feel shouldn’t be as important as adults reaching out to kids as a lot of adults belittle children to the point that refusing to reach out becomes a defense mechanism, but in general it’s not a bad message to promote.
I liked the world building. The inner workings of the school was like its own little society; there were factions, rules to follow, and a barter system. If you’ve ever seen the Disney show Recess, it was reminiscent of that, though it had its own distinct flair. It helped to make Thelonious’ decisions feel important since there was a real risk he could totally disrupt an entire ecosystem if he wasn’t careful.
I loved Thelonius as the protagonist. He was so sweet underneath all the mischief. And the mischief just served to show how clever he was. His biggest flaw was honestly being too self aware at too young an age; an all too common ailment for kids of color. Admittedly, he reminded me a lot of my little brother at his age so I was biased.
I thought the mystery wasn’t fleshed out enough. There were not a lot of clues or puzzles to work out. Thelonious figured out the main players relatively quickly. His only speed bump was the motivation. I would have preferred if he had to put in more effort to figure it out. A lot of the book was Thelonious just thinking a lot and reasoning things out in his head.
All in all it was a nice read. I have no qualms about recommending this.
The major theme underlying everything is how kids aren’t given a fair shake. Thelonius is an intelligent, forthright young man who is judged ten times as hard for his mistakes because he has a reputation. And while Thelonius has done some less than savory things, the point is that he shouldn’t automatically be blamed for anything that goes wrong in the school - everyone should be innocent until proven guilty, after all. Adults should take into account previous actions when trying to reason out who could have done something, but, they should also be willing to genuinely listen and readjust their assumptions as well.
Race plays heavily into this as Black kids are punished twice as hard and often as their white counterparts for the same offences. And once a Black kid garners a ‘reputation’ mistreatment is now justified in the eyes of the racist institution creating a self-fulfilling cycle - why bother working to fight their misconceptions about you when the teachers, principal, parents, etc will refuse to change their position as a means of maintaining the status quo? It’s easier to deny the racism and injustice than it is to work on deconstructing it.
At the same time kids have to be willing to meet the adults where they are - which I do feel shouldn’t be as important as adults reaching out to kids as a lot of adults belittle children to the point that refusing to reach out becomes a defense mechanism, but in general it’s not a bad message to promote.
I liked the world building. The inner workings of the school was like its own little society; there were factions, rules to follow, and a barter system. If you’ve ever seen the Disney show Recess, it was reminiscent of that, though it had its own distinct flair. It helped to make Thelonious’ decisions feel important since there was a real risk he could totally disrupt an entire ecosystem if he wasn’t careful.
I loved Thelonius as the protagonist. He was so sweet underneath all the mischief. And the mischief just served to show how clever he was. His biggest flaw was honestly being too self aware at too young an age; an all too common ailment for kids of color. Admittedly, he reminded me a lot of my little brother at his age so I was biased.
I thought the mystery wasn’t fleshed out enough. There were not a lot of clues or puzzles to work out. Thelonious figured out the main players relatively quickly. His only speed bump was the motivation. I would have preferred if he had to put in more effort to figure it out. A lot of the book was Thelonious just thinking a lot and reasoning things out in his head.
All in all it was a nice read. I have no qualms about recommending this.
May 7, 2020
Three words that describe this book: conversational tone, character centered, thought provoking
One of my reading resolutions this year was to read more Middle Grade novels. I sought this one out specifically because I have read an enjoyed Broaddus' adult novels, but those were speculative. Broaddus is a teacher and this book is set in middle school.
What I enjoyed about this novel was that it looked at the issue of how the kids in special education are treated but through their eyes and with a tone that didn't try to beat home how unfair it all is. They also aren't treated in a stereotypical bad way. This realities of this school and the special education program are the frame. He creates it realistically and honestly and then lays a compelling and intriguing mystery over it all.
This is a solid mystery for any age reader. The characters are great, the issues very topical [a gun being found near the school] and the resolution satisfying. It is very honest and also hilarious.
Broaddus is writing to the kids because he knows them from his years of teaching. He doesn't need adults to interact with this book, understand this book, or approve of this book and yet, this is all why I think more adults need to read this book. It does not talk down to anyone.
The characters are very realistic as kids. No one is "too" anything: too precocious, too bad, too good, to class clowny. I volunteer at a school library and these were regular kids. Kids who read this book will see their friends, classmates, and selves in the story. There are kids of all races and abilities here and they are taken for when they are by each other.
Also the relationships are excellent. Positive family relationships, great friendships, appropriate teacher-student closeness, and believable coming of age/growth.
This is a story for mystery lovers. It flows easily with a conversational tone. Readers will come to adore the characters and root for them, while also acknowledging their missteps. You will laugh a lot, but also feel how hard it is to be a kid these days.
Readalikes:
As I said in my review of Jason Reynolds' LOOK BOTH WAYS [https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...], this is a story about regular kids today, one that more adults would read to understand "kids these days" better.
Jason Reynolds generally writes for a slightly older audience but LOOK BOTH WAYS and AS BRAVE AS YOU are in the same age range and treat being a kid similarly.
I have seen a few people mention this in reviews but Thelonius is very similar to Harriet the Spy, but he's the black 21st century version of that classic MG, mystery heroine.
One of my reading resolutions this year was to read more Middle Grade novels. I sought this one out specifically because I have read an enjoyed Broaddus' adult novels, but those were speculative. Broaddus is a teacher and this book is set in middle school.
What I enjoyed about this novel was that it looked at the issue of how the kids in special education are treated but through their eyes and with a tone that didn't try to beat home how unfair it all is. They also aren't treated in a stereotypical bad way. This realities of this school and the special education program are the frame. He creates it realistically and honestly and then lays a compelling and intriguing mystery over it all.
This is a solid mystery for any age reader. The characters are great, the issues very topical [a gun being found near the school] and the resolution satisfying. It is very honest and also hilarious.
Broaddus is writing to the kids because he knows them from his years of teaching. He doesn't need adults to interact with this book, understand this book, or approve of this book and yet, this is all why I think more adults need to read this book. It does not talk down to anyone.
The characters are very realistic as kids. No one is "too" anything: too precocious, too bad, too good, to class clowny. I volunteer at a school library and these were regular kids. Kids who read this book will see their friends, classmates, and selves in the story. There are kids of all races and abilities here and they are taken for when they are by each other.
Also the relationships are excellent. Positive family relationships, great friendships, appropriate teacher-student closeness, and believable coming of age/growth.
This is a story for mystery lovers. It flows easily with a conversational tone. Readers will come to adore the characters and root for them, while also acknowledging their missteps. You will laugh a lot, but also feel how hard it is to be a kid these days.
Readalikes:
As I said in my review of Jason Reynolds' LOOK BOTH WAYS [https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...], this is a story about regular kids today, one that more adults would read to understand "kids these days" better.
Jason Reynolds generally writes for a slightly older audience but LOOK BOTH WAYS and AS BRAVE AS YOU are in the same age range and treat being a kid similarly.
I have seen a few people mention this in reviews but Thelonius is very similar to Harriet the Spy, but he's the black 21st century version of that classic MG, mystery heroine.
March 12, 2021
Normally this kind of middle grade read would be an easy 3-star read.
But this is MY SCHOOL. I'm not kidding--we have this same program for kids who struggle with behaviors (minus the Scream Room, thank goodness). We have a Mrs. Horner, unfortunately, who teaches in that program. We have a Mr. Blackmon, thankfully, who loves those kids and does whatever he can to reach them.
And we have kids like Thelonius and Nehemiah--kids who are bright and thoughtful, but whose behaviors sometimes lead the rest of us to discount them and make assumptions (me included).
I wish every teacher in my building would read this book. It's not going to solve all of our problems (obviously), but it's an excellent opportunity to reflect.
But this is MY SCHOOL. I'm not kidding--we have this same program for kids who struggle with behaviors (minus the Scream Room, thank goodness). We have a Mrs. Horner, unfortunately, who teaches in that program. We have a Mr. Blackmon, thankfully, who loves those kids and does whatever he can to reach them.
And we have kids like Thelonius and Nehemiah--kids who are bright and thoughtful, but whose behaviors sometimes lead the rest of us to discount them and make assumptions (me included).
I wish every teacher in my building would read this book. It's not going to solve all of our problems (obviously), but it's an excellent opportunity to reflect.
January 1, 2022
Purposely unrated
I enjoyed this book and if it had come out 15-20 years ago it would have been 5 stars for me. But as an educator, I struggled (and shuddered) to think that some schools might still operate with the Special Education framework presented in The Usual Suspects, especially for kids whose challenges are social, emotional, and behavioral not academic in nature. My elementary school includes all students with disabilities in regular classrooms unless all interventions and accomodations have not helped that student be successful. I know that many districts are not as supportive financially and administratively as mine is to kids who struggle. I'd love to see what research Maurice Broaddus had done before outlining this story.
I enjoyed this book and if it had come out 15-20 years ago it would have been 5 stars for me. But as an educator, I struggled (and shuddered) to think that some schools might still operate with the Special Education framework presented in The Usual Suspects, especially for kids whose challenges are social, emotional, and behavioral not academic in nature. My elementary school includes all students with disabilities in regular classrooms unless all interventions and accomodations have not helped that student be successful. I know that many districts are not as supportive financially and administratively as mine is to kids who struggle. I'd love to see what research Maurice Broaddus had done before outlining this story.
January 20, 2023
I've been on a good run of middle grade recently!
I heard about this because the author was a guest host on Writing Exuses a couple times and talked about this book (as well as a couple others that sounded pretty cool as well).
I really, really liked this one. I really felt for all the kids AND (some of) the adults. It also did SUCH a great job of playing with more noir tropes like the gangster, the informants, etc... inside a middle school.
I also really liked how it portrayed Thelonius's frustration at being labeled 'a usual suspect' while acknowledging that his actions set him up for that, and how people's expectations of you shape your behavior. Seeing both his mom and Mr. Blackwell trying to help the kids in their own way was pretty neat (and despite Thelonius's feelings, I wouldn't mind of those two flirted a bit).
Overall, I felt it did such a good job at balancing "Yes these people are acting this way for a reason and the reasons need to be addressed" with "These people need to take responsibility for their own actions".
I wasn't quite sure about the ending, though. Minor spoilers ahead, but ill keep it vague. I get the feelings Thelonius has that the system isn't perfect, so he can't really trust the good adults in the system. And revealing who actually brought the gun probably wouldn't solve anything, because the kid didn't need to be shipped off in the back of a cop car. But 1, the other kid didn't need that punishment either (especially not for a crime he didn't commit), and 2, something needed to be done about the kid who DID choose to bring a gun to school. That may be beyond the scope of this book, but it did feel a bit glossed over at the end.
I heard about this because the author was a guest host on Writing Exuses a couple times and talked about this book (as well as a couple others that sounded pretty cool as well).
I really, really liked this one. I really felt for all the kids AND (some of) the adults. It also did SUCH a great job of playing with more noir tropes like the gangster, the informants, etc... inside a middle school.
I also really liked how it portrayed Thelonius's frustration at being labeled 'a usual suspect' while acknowledging that his actions set him up for that, and how people's expectations of you shape your behavior. Seeing both his mom and Mr. Blackwell trying to help the kids in their own way was pretty neat (and despite Thelonius's feelings, I wouldn't mind of those two flirted a bit).
Overall, I felt it did such a good job at balancing "Yes these people are acting this way for a reason and the reasons need to be addressed" with "These people need to take responsibility for their own actions".
I wasn't quite sure about the ending, though. Minor spoilers ahead, but ill keep it vague. I get the feelings Thelonius has that the system isn't perfect, so he can't really trust the good adults in the system. And revealing who actually brought the gun probably wouldn't solve anything, because the kid didn't need to be shipped off in the back of a cop car. But 1, the other kid didn't need that punishment either (especially not for a crime he didn't commit), and 2, something needed to be done about the kid who DID choose to bring a gun to school. That may be beyond the scope of this book, but it did feel a bit glossed over at the end.
December 7, 2019
This middle grade feels like New Kid and every middle grade by Jason Reynolds with the rawness and sweetness that balance out in the message. Thelonius is the perfect prankster because it's the best but it's obnoxious and he ends up in the principal's office often.
It's not until a gun is found near school property that Thelonius and his pals realize that they're going to be targeted unless they figure out who it was. This sets off the fact-finding expedition where Thelonius has to connect with Marcel, the honor student ambassador that has a shady side-- she never gets caught when Theolnius always does. Then there's other friends that he wants to protect and a mentor along with his mother.
It's a heartfelt story that only suffers from a generally bad cover but the message is loud and clear.
It's not until a gun is found near school property that Thelonius and his pals realize that they're going to be targeted unless they figure out who it was. This sets off the fact-finding expedition where Thelonius has to connect with Marcel, the honor student ambassador that has a shady side-- she never gets caught when Theolnius always does. Then there's other friends that he wants to protect and a mentor along with his mother.
It's a heartfelt story that only suffers from a generally bad cover but the message is loud and clear.
May 5, 2021
I want to start by saying I appreciated the perspective of the protagonist, being a special education student and his insight into how he feels he's treated as a black, special education student. There is not enough literature from this viewpoint. But the story line fell incredibly flat for me. It felt like there was so much potential to really dive deep into the treatment of black, special education students, but it felt forced. It was very upper elementary writing and I didn't care for how the story ended. The protagonist spent a lot of time discussing unequal treatment, but he turned around and set someone else up to cover up the situation for a friend. I was frustrated by this ending and felt like as a middle level book, it's promoting the wrong kind of morals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2024
As a teacher, it is SO REFRESHING to read a book that centers on the brilliance of SPED students who are often over looked. Not only will I be recommending this to EVERY of my 7th graders this fall, but I’m going to beg my MCS to get copies for our school library. This was unlike anything I’ve ever read. Thank you Mr. Broaddus!
In this novel we meet the young “felonious” Thelonious. He is what some may call the ring leader for the SPED class at his middle school, known for his antics. When a gun is found at the park close by, he feels that administration is out to blame him and his friends from SPED class. Before that can happen, he and his crew solve the mystery themselves— with a few twists and turns along the way.
I can’t recommend this one enough.
In this novel we meet the young “felonious” Thelonious. He is what some may call the ring leader for the SPED class at his middle school, known for his antics. When a gun is found at the park close by, he feels that administration is out to blame him and his friends from SPED class. Before that can happen, he and his crew solve the mystery themselves— with a few twists and turns along the way.
I can’t recommend this one enough.
July 8, 2019
Actually made me pretty uncomfortable as an adult, but it's a good thing to be reminded of the resilience, smarts and heart of middle schoolers who are facing such difficult pressures from their parents, communities, teachers, peers and their own physical and emotional needs. An actual 11 year old I lent it to for several chapters also pronounced it "pretty good"
March 31, 2020
I didn't know at first whether I liked the book or not. I have a hard time sympathizing with troublemakers. But by the end of the book I loved Thelonius and Nehemia. In general, the author did an excellent job giving his characters personality, even the less significant ones.
I do wish it ended differently. But oh, well.
I do wish it ended differently. But oh, well.
March 29, 2020
While this book is working in the same vein as Jason Reynolds’ Ghost, The Usual Suspects isn’t quite as effectively realized. Both books show a supportive mother-son relationship shining through a less-supportive environment. Both books tackle questions of morality and doing the right thing. Both books attempt to explore the effects of childhood trauma from the viewpoint of a middle schooler. Broaddus’ book is certainly an impressive debut middle grade novel, funny and engrossing and ambitious in taking on big themes like prejudice and the failures of systems, but it never quite reaches its stride.
There are certainly profound portions, and the book is innovative stylistically, with some interesting flashbacks and moments where the narrative slows down and expands, but in other ways the book isn’t the tight school mystery it hopes to be. The book doesn’t strike the right rhythm of home scenes and school scenes, for one, showing a few powerfully-drawn portraits of Thelonius’ family life which then fall away entirely in the latter half of the book; nor does it effectively build up the sense of an investigation or whodunnit in a truly satisfying way. The concluding message is ambivalent, suggesting that it’s okay to frame someone for something they didn’t do so long as they’re not a nice person. And while the book alludes to childhood traumas, Broaddus doesn’t explicitly, sensitively name or explore these dynamics as Reynolds so transparently did in Ghost.
Even with its shortcomings, The Usual Suspects is a solid addition to the middle grade bookshelf. The book powerfully shows the brilliance and innovation of kids who are shuffled off into the Special Ed room because they don’t fit in to a “regular” classroom and presents a hopeful look at how adults can treat children with more respect. I’m excited to see what Broaddus writes next.
There are certainly profound portions, and the book is innovative stylistically, with some interesting flashbacks and moments where the narrative slows down and expands, but in other ways the book isn’t the tight school mystery it hopes to be. The book doesn’t strike the right rhythm of home scenes and school scenes, for one, showing a few powerfully-drawn portraits of Thelonius’ family life which then fall away entirely in the latter half of the book; nor does it effectively build up the sense of an investigation or whodunnit in a truly satisfying way. The concluding message is ambivalent, suggesting that it’s okay to frame someone for something they didn’t do so long as they’re not a nice person. And while the book alludes to childhood traumas, Broaddus doesn’t explicitly, sensitively name or explore these dynamics as Reynolds so transparently did in Ghost.
Even with its shortcomings, The Usual Suspects is a solid addition to the middle grade bookshelf. The book powerfully shows the brilliance and innovation of kids who are shuffled off into the Special Ed room because they don’t fit in to a “regular” classroom and presents a hopeful look at how adults can treat children with more respect. I’m excited to see what Broaddus writes next.
July 27, 2020
I appreciated a lot about this book. As a middle school teacher, it's refreshing to read an author who clearly knows what the inside of a middle school looks and sounds like, and I laughed out loud at some of the teacher dialogue that I recognized in my own teacher talk, and I think it's important for middle-level readers to be reading work that reflects the world that they're actually living-the joys and the threats.
I also appreciated the fact that the main character was in a special education class. I don't read every middle level book that comes out, but my sense is that most of them that take place in school probably do not take place in the special ed classroom. There's a fantastic message here that being in a special ed class or program does not signify that there is something "wrong" with a student.
However, I was disappointed with the ending of this book, in which a middle school student is carted off to jail in handcuffs, after our beloved main character cleverly plants evidence in the backpack of a school bully. We're in middle school here, and no matter how much of a bullying problem we may have in our schools, I don't think the justified outcome is for students to be taken away in handcuffs. Enough students are already seeing their peers getting handcuffed and escorted out of school. I wish there could have been a more positive outcome for all the characters involved that didn't reenforce the image of the school-to-prison pipeline that is already so detrimental to the actual student experience in our schools. Perhaps this ending was fitting to the Easy Rawlins mysteries that Broaddus lovingly tips his hat to, but I don't think it belongs in a middle school.
I also appreciated the fact that the main character was in a special education class. I don't read every middle level book that comes out, but my sense is that most of them that take place in school probably do not take place in the special ed classroom. There's a fantastic message here that being in a special ed class or program does not signify that there is something "wrong" with a student.
However, I was disappointed with the ending of this book, in which a middle school student is carted off to jail in handcuffs, after our beloved main character cleverly plants evidence in the backpack of a school bully. We're in middle school here, and no matter how much of a bullying problem we may have in our schools, I don't think the justified outcome is for students to be taken away in handcuffs. Enough students are already seeing their peers getting handcuffed and escorted out of school. I wish there could have been a more positive outcome for all the characters involved that didn't reenforce the image of the school-to-prison pipeline that is already so detrimental to the actual student experience in our schools. Perhaps this ending was fitting to the Easy Rawlins mysteries that Broaddus lovingly tips his hat to, but I don't think it belongs in a middle school.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2019
Thelonius Caldwell is very much like many of the boys I taught in my ten years as a middle school teacher: bright, mischievous, and labeled as "special ed." Despite his label he is very keen in his perceptions of people and aware of the reality that he is being 'warehoused' (i.e., placed in a self contained classroom with similar students and given sleep-inducing lessons until he either drops out or is removed via expulsion). Because the school and his teachers have low expectations of him, Thelonius and his friend Nehemiah pass the time by playing pranks on the staff, causing chaos between students, and just plain acting silly.
One day, a gun is found in a park near their school. Because Thelonius and Nehemiah have a reputation for bad behavior, the principal rounds them up and blames them for the incident. Knowing that he did nothing wrong, Thelonius begins to search for the culprit, careful not to be a snitch. This story traces the route along his journey for answers, playing homage to the 1995 film "The Usual Suspects." There's even a Keyser Soze kinda figure, which is pretty brilliant for a kid's book.
I definitely recommend this book. Sure, it's a readable children's book but there's a sad subtext: the reality that far too many poor children of color are placed in "special ed" classes and, once there, nobody is supporting or listening to them. Research shows that these are the kids who are most likely to drop out of school entirely and end up in the criminal justice system, or just to have poor outcomes in life in general. It's a very real depiction of their lives.
4 stars.
One day, a gun is found in a park near their school. Because Thelonius and Nehemiah have a reputation for bad behavior, the principal rounds them up and blames them for the incident. Knowing that he did nothing wrong, Thelonius begins to search for the culprit, careful not to be a snitch. This story traces the route along his journey for answers, playing homage to the 1995 film "The Usual Suspects." There's even a Keyser Soze kinda figure, which is pretty brilliant for a kid's book.
I definitely recommend this book. Sure, it's a readable children's book but there's a sad subtext: the reality that far too many poor children of color are placed in "special ed" classes and, once there, nobody is supporting or listening to them. Research shows that these are the kids who are most likely to drop out of school entirely and end up in the criminal justice system, or just to have poor outcomes in life in general. It's a very real depiction of their lives.
4 stars.
May 8, 2022
This is an amazing book. Thelonius is an amazing character. But… this book needed to be at least 100 pages longer. I’m not saying that out of adoration but out of actual need of depth. A lot of things were touched on but not dug into. I wanted to see more character moments with Nehemiah, and with Ahrian, and with Rodrigo and Twon and Jaron and Pierce. Actually, I wanted to see more of all the side characters. The ending also needed more. I respect Thelonius’s choice, but it felt only half-done, with not everyone getting what they deserved. Thelonius needed more character arc, and what little development that came, came way too fast. I’m also surprised Thelonius had no guilt whatsoever about what would transpire to a character near the end.
That being said, I absolutely loved Thelonius. He, on his own, managed to give the novel four stars (despite all my other complaints.) He’s so fleshed out, so real, and so unique. He’s jaded and insightful and intelligent, and in the few moments he lets you in deeper, you’ll see how much he believes everything everyone has told him and how much he wishes things were different. I’ve never quite read about a character like him. He has so many ‘theories’ on things, and I can just imagine Thelonius coming up with them. What the author did with him was genius.
One thing annoyed me: I felt like all the adult characters basically said, ‘Thelonius, you’re so smart. You don’t hear that enough’ again and again and again, but that’s my last complaint, I promise.
That being said, I absolutely loved Thelonius. He, on his own, managed to give the novel four stars (despite all my other complaints.) He’s so fleshed out, so real, and so unique. He’s jaded and insightful and intelligent, and in the few moments he lets you in deeper, you’ll see how much he believes everything everyone has told him and how much he wishes things were different. I’ve never quite read about a character like him. He has so many ‘theories’ on things, and I can just imagine Thelonius coming up with them. What the author did with him was genius.
One thing annoyed me: I felt like all the adult characters basically said, ‘Thelonius, you’re so smart. You don’t hear that enough’ again and again and again, but that’s my last complaint, I promise.
May 4, 2020
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great look at how different upbringings, home lives perceptions, and so much more can "label" a kid. It also shows how kids that people don't know how to work with get grouped together and not for the best if no one knows how to work with them or has the patience.
This story greatly shows how actions can build up to one big event. When a gun is found near a school it's widely assumed someone from the special education classroom brought it (some kids in this room have learning obstacles while some kids are dumped here because no one knows what to do with them). The main character tries to prove their innocence while not being a snitch.
A great story everyone should read. I may round my rating up to 4 stars while I rate it 3.5 stars. The story and message are fantastic. The book is mostly a fast read, but at times in the middle it kind of drags on. The goodreads description says fans of Jason Reynolds will like this book which I agree with that statement. While Jason Reynolds can pack a punch in a the bare minimum of words, this is a little longer, which is okay, but I think a few parts could use the Reynolds knack of cutting back and going with simplicity to still pack a punch. That said, I don't know how Reynolds does it with conveying so much is so few words and pages. Also, this is the author's first book for kids so a great juvenile debut.
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great look at how different upbringings, home lives perceptions, and so much more can "label" a kid. It also shows how kids that people don't know how to work with get grouped together and not for the best if no one knows how to work with them or has the patience.
This story greatly shows how actions can build up to one big event. When a gun is found near a school it's widely assumed someone from the special education classroom brought it (some kids in this room have learning obstacles while some kids are dumped here because no one knows what to do with them). The main character tries to prove their innocence while not being a snitch.
A great story everyone should read. I may round my rating up to 4 stars while I rate it 3.5 stars. The story and message are fantastic. The book is mostly a fast read, but at times in the middle it kind of drags on. The goodreads description says fans of Jason Reynolds will like this book which I agree with that statement. While Jason Reynolds can pack a punch in a the bare minimum of words, this is a little longer, which is okay, but I think a few parts could use the Reynolds knack of cutting back and going with simplicity to still pack a punch. That said, I don't know how Reynolds does it with conveying so much is so few words and pages. Also, this is the author's first book for kids so a great juvenile debut.
July 13, 2019
The characters in this book give you a perspective of students you don't usually read about in books, the students who a labeled "trouble-makers" or "those kids." In their school, they are part of a self-contained classroom for students who have behavior difficulties (like the Oasis program we have in our school.) I'm having trouble lately with all of the school's emphasis on social-emotional needs of the kids and how because this hasn't been strong in their lives we can't expect them to understand proper behavior because their brain isn't processing it the same. I even took a class last summer called Help for Billy with scientific studies to back up the ideas, but I still struggle with the reasoning for many reasons. I found myself getting angry with the characters in this book and not fully believing their explanations or perspectives. I suppose the author achieved his mission with me too because this book has got me thinking and feeling even if it isn't on the side of the boys. I chose to read this book to try to understand the behavior more and it gave me more information, but I struggle with my feelings about what I learned and what I feel and how it fits into my life and the life of other students. Even as I write this, and I read the book two weeks ago, I still feel "my dander being raised" as I write about it. Interesting.
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April 6, 2020I didn't enjoy this book and had to force myself to finish it, even though the writing is fantastic. But this book wasn't written for me, and it deals with issues I have never had to deal with or experience. The middle schoolers this book was written for will feel very differently than I did because they are dealing with these issues every day of their young lives. It is not for every middle schooler, but the ones who come from poverty or difficult homes and who struggle with behavioral problems or bullying will definitely bond with the characters in this book. One of the main issues I had with the book is that so many problems went unresolved and I'm not really sure what message kids will take from that. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I can't really explain, but several things bothered me. I did appreciate a handful of caring and hard-working adults who were trying to help the main characters, they counteracted the handful of other pretty horrible adults. While I don't recommend this book to everyone, there is a population who can really benefit from it.
Areas of concern:
* I only remember one cuss word (*b*word), but there could have been a couple more mild cuss words.
* Bullying, bullying, bullying. Some pretty heavy stuff that mostly goes unpunished.
Areas of concern:
* I only remember one cuss word (*b*word), but there could have been a couple more mild cuss words.
* Bullying, bullying, bullying. Some pretty heavy stuff that mostly goes unpunished.
May 18, 2021
This is well written, but it's just not the book for me. Start-of-the-book Thelonius is exactly the kid that pushes my buttons. The one who walks right up to the line without crossing it while still breaking the spirit of the law, the one who riles other kids up because he can and because it's funny. To give the book credit, Thelonius realizes that that approach is harming both him and his classmates and he takes some steps toward change near the end of the book.
And he and Broaddus have some important points about compliance and education. Often keeping with the system is valued more than learning, and learning is expected to occur in one prescripted way. Trust is often demanded but not earned by teachers and admin. It really bothered me how the special ed class is used for behavior management rather than actual learning needs, but I get that that's how SpEd is used in a lot of places, so that's a critique of the real world not of the novel.
I liked the character relationships throughout the book. And the solution at the end was compelling (though it makes my teacher heart stutter more than a little).
I think this book will work for a lot of kids who will enjoy Thelonius's antics, and I don't think there's anything wrong with the novel, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
And he and Broaddus have some important points about compliance and education. Often keeping with the system is valued more than learning, and learning is expected to occur in one prescripted way. Trust is often demanded but not earned by teachers and admin. It really bothered me how the special ed class is used for behavior management rather than actual learning needs, but I get that that's how SpEd is used in a lot of places, so that's a critique of the real world not of the novel.
I liked the character relationships throughout the book. And the solution at the end was compelling (though it makes my teacher heart stutter more than a little).
I think this book will work for a lot of kids who will enjoy Thelonius's antics, and I don't think there's anything wrong with the novel, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
May 3, 2023
This book was so real.
I am a parent of 4 with my oldest being in middle school. The dynamic of our middle school is very similar to the one described in this book - not inner city but not totally suburbs either. After the pandemic I started substitute teaching a few afternoons a month as a way to try and offer what little support I can to the teachers who do so much for my kids. I have no background in teaching and the experience has been eye opening to say the least. I have personally met kids like the characters in this book, ones who aren’t bad but are difficult to teach because they have a whole other world going on at school among their classmates that can be difficult to find out about or monitor, just like in this book. It was so real that it was almost painful to read about the kids trying to play the teachers to get the things they wanted and needed, like causing distractions and asking for the bathroom when they don’t really have to go, starting fights, hurling yo momma insults… As a sub I only see the adult point of view so it was interesting to see all the classroom behaviors woven into a complete story from the kid’s perspective in this book. It’s a well told and a fast paced read. The author did a really good job showing us the reality of some student’s school experience which I thought was insightful.
I am a parent of 4 with my oldest being in middle school. The dynamic of our middle school is very similar to the one described in this book - not inner city but not totally suburbs either. After the pandemic I started substitute teaching a few afternoons a month as a way to try and offer what little support I can to the teachers who do so much for my kids. I have no background in teaching and the experience has been eye opening to say the least. I have personally met kids like the characters in this book, ones who aren’t bad but are difficult to teach because they have a whole other world going on at school among their classmates that can be difficult to find out about or monitor, just like in this book. It was so real that it was almost painful to read about the kids trying to play the teachers to get the things they wanted and needed, like causing distractions and asking for the bathroom when they don’t really have to go, starting fights, hurling yo momma insults… As a sub I only see the adult point of view so it was interesting to see all the classroom behaviors woven into a complete story from the kid’s perspective in this book. It’s a well told and a fast paced read. The author did a really good job showing us the reality of some student’s school experience which I thought was insightful.
December 21, 2023
Review for Battle of the Books 2024
278 pages. Black author (he/him). Realistic fiction. Takes place in Indianapolis. MC is Black and in 7th grade – 12 years old (he/him). MC’s eight-year-old younger sister is on the autism spectrum. Single mom. Thelonius likes to cause (mostly) harmless mischief and chaos. Colorism is a common theme throughout the book. There is definitely an edge of understandable anger running through the narration. An unfair system, not enough resources, kids not feeling seen/listened to by their teathers/adults. Thelonius is trying to figure out who brought a gun to the park near his school since only “the usual suspects” are being investigated, ie his special ed classmates. MC is super insightful, sometimes angry, but has a good heart. Book has a pretty serious and real tone. Deals with bullying, “Special Ed” classes and their lack of support for students, clicks, who brought a gun to school. I can hear the complaints about the ending That said it would have plenty of questions and offers a great “own voices” choices.
278 pages. Black author (he/him). Realistic fiction. Takes place in Indianapolis. MC is Black and in 7th grade – 12 years old (he/him). MC’s eight-year-old younger sister is on the autism spectrum. Single mom. Thelonius likes to cause (mostly) harmless mischief and chaos. Colorism is a common theme throughout the book. There is definitely an edge of understandable anger running through the narration. An unfair system, not enough resources, kids not feeling seen/listened to by their teathers/adults. Thelonius is trying to figure out who brought a gun to the park near his school since only “the usual suspects” are being investigated, ie his special ed classmates. MC is super insightful, sometimes angry, but has a good heart. Book has a pretty serious and real tone. Deals with bullying, “Special Ed” classes and their lack of support for students, clicks, who brought a gun to school. I can hear the complaints about the ending That said it would have plenty of questions and offers a great “own voices” choices.
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July 23, 2023What's it like to have everyone always assume the worst? Thelonius can tell you all about it. When something goes wrong, the finger is usually pointed in his direction.
When a gun is found at school, Thelonius finds himself in the principal's office. Her office is a place he is quite familiar with, but this time he is determined to prove he had nothing to do with the problem.
As one of the students assigned to the special ed room, he knows he and his fellow classmates are often the targets accused of whatever wrongdoings that have recently happened. This time Thelonius has a plan to figure out who really brought the weapon onto the school grounds. It means pulling some fast ones, pranking some teachers, and playing a few tricks to show everyone once and for all that he has potential to be someone better.
Author Maurice Broaddus introduces readers to a wacky cast of characters who are sure to charm and entertain. Impressive character development combined with spot-on imagery make Thelonius's story leap off the page. THE USUAL SUSPECTS is perfect for middle school classrooms and libraries everywhere.
When a gun is found at school, Thelonius finds himself in the principal's office. Her office is a place he is quite familiar with, but this time he is determined to prove he had nothing to do with the problem.
As one of the students assigned to the special ed room, he knows he and his fellow classmates are often the targets accused of whatever wrongdoings that have recently happened. This time Thelonius has a plan to figure out who really brought the weapon onto the school grounds. It means pulling some fast ones, pranking some teachers, and playing a few tricks to show everyone once and for all that he has potential to be someone better.
Author Maurice Broaddus introduces readers to a wacky cast of characters who are sure to charm and entertain. Impressive character development combined with spot-on imagery make Thelonius's story leap off the page. THE USUAL SUSPECTS is perfect for middle school classrooms and libraries everywhere.
August 17, 2020
It can be difficult for me to review books that I read for my classroom - I’m always reading them with the eye of “Will this work in my library or book clubs?” So my issues tend to be specific to that.
There were things about this book I really liked - specifically, the fact that it featured characters like Nehemiah, who I see in school often but not in books. The special ed room is realistic and I was really excited about potentially using this book with some students who are “the usual suspects.”
What I didn’t like about this book was that it didn’t seem like it had a handle on its target audience. The back says it’s for ages 8-12 and the characters are 12. The characters go back and forth between acting like teenagers and acting like elementary school kids. But the main issue I had was that some of the content would prevent me from being able to share this with students. While the language and character choices were realistic, I didn’t feel like they fit the 8-12 range the book was supposed to be written for.
There were things about this book I really liked - specifically, the fact that it featured characters like Nehemiah, who I see in school often but not in books. The special ed room is realistic and I was really excited about potentially using this book with some students who are “the usual suspects.”
What I didn’t like about this book was that it didn’t seem like it had a handle on its target audience. The back says it’s for ages 8-12 and the characters are 12. The characters go back and forth between acting like teenagers and acting like elementary school kids. But the main issue I had was that some of the content would prevent me from being able to share this with students. While the language and character choices were realistic, I didn’t feel like they fit the 8-12 range the book was supposed to be written for.
March 11, 2021
Wow! I really enjoyed this book tremendously. I listened to the Harper audiobook and it truly brought this novel to life. There are plenty of students I would love to recommend this book to because I feel they might connect with the intelligent, yet troublesome main character Thelonius. He’s in special ed, but it seems for more behavioral issues than anything else. The principal speaks to the boys in to let them know someone brought a gun near/on school property. Thelonius is upset that they are looked as the usual suspects even when they had nothing to do with it. He decides that he will try to find out who the true culprit is in order to clear his name as well as the other students. For anyone interested in suggesting this novel to a student, rhere is a part in the book where they say the word b***h. As if a middle school student has not heard or uttered worse themselves, but I digress. It was well written and engaging. I’d love to know more about how Thelonius. I wish there was another book!
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