Nineteen-year-old Sally Miyake, or “Sal Gal,” lives in Sunnyside Plaza, a group home for the mentally challenged. As she puts it, “I can’t read, but I learn a lot of things, Bricks are made of clay. Vitamin D comes from the sun. The sun is millions of miles away. There are 8 times 4 squares on the ceiling of my room. I see that 2 times 8 plus 4 are cracked, and 2 times 8 plus 1 have brown stains.”

When two of her friends in the home die unexpectedly, the police start to investigate. Two of the officers, London “Lon” Bridges and Ester Rivas befriend Sal. Soon Sal gets to go to her first baseball game, a Passover seder, and everyone at the home goes for a picnic in the park, where when a parkgoer is rude to them they learn a new word for an unfriendly person from their new friends. Most importantly, one night when Sal realizes she knows two things that could explain why her former housemates died, she and the other residents of the home decide to strike out on their own and tell the police, even when they’re not exactly sure where the police station is located. It makes an eventful quest filled with more things to learn and a few more new friends.

Simon’s first book for young readers is a gentle tale of dealing with intolerance, and the power of friendship and solidarity to overcome fear and help justice prevail. ( )

There are sentences of utter beauty here. There are characters who, surprisingly, develop. The plot is a device for this to happen. I look forward to discussing this book with my grandchildren. I will tell them the story of Lila, my mother's developmentally delayed friend. In fact: you're inspiring me, Mr. Simon. I just may write that story.

The last part of that story would be her funeral, which was attended by perhaps 100 of other people with hurdles to cross and about 50 caregivers. We listened while one after another, people stood to witness to Lila's love. Some people spoke so slowly, one word per 5 seconds, that we could hear our own collective breathing while we waited for the next word. Some people used very simple words. Some just wept. It was the most powerful funeral I have ever attended and we were, every one of us, moved by the voices we do not often hear in public places. ( )

Recommended by Lauren B

Sally Miyake lives and works at Sunnyside Plaza, a home for adults with developmental disabilities. Sally and her friends may not all know how to read, but they're kind and observant and helpful. And when a couple of them die, of apparently natural causes, detectives Esther Rivas and London Bridges (yes, really!) visit Sunnyside. They speak directly with the residents, and treat them with respect, and Sal even gets to go to a ballgame and a Passover seder at Esther's house. But can Sal's powers of observation crack the case, or will Sunnyside have to close?

A really unique setting and bunch of characters for a middle grade novel, but it works - largely because of Sal's first-person narration. Most of the book takes place within Sunnyside, but when Sal and her friends venture out of the building, they encounter kindness and prejudice ("crazy people") in almost equal measure. ( )

Please see my review under C. Wong on Amazon.com ( )