Rhyme Schemer

Reach for this book when you notice your child using sarcasm as a shield, struggling with social boundaries, or acting out to hide feelings of inadequacy. It is a vital resource for the middle schooler who is currently the class clown or the troublemaker, providing them with a mirror to see how their actions affect others while validating their internal struggles. The story follows Kevin, a seventh-grader who defaults to being a bully until his secret passion for found-poetry is exposed and he becomes the target of ridicule himself. Through the accessible medium of verse, the novel explores the thin line between being the teaser and the teased. It offers a realistic look at how a bad attitude is often a defense mechanism for feeling invisible at home or overwhelmed at school. Parents will appreciate how the book models the difficult process of making an authentic apology and the redemptive power of creative expression. It is a hopeful, grounded choice for navigating the complex social hierarchy of the 9 to 12 age range.