It Doesn't Take a Genius
By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Published April 13, 2021 by Six Foot Press
Review
Emmett (or E, as he wishes to be called) is a 12-year-old big fish in a little pond who idolizes and depends on his older brother. His primary aim for the summer is to spend as much time with his brother as possible, before his brother leaves for an elite boarding school. His brother throws a wrench in those plans by accepting a counselor position at an academic camp for gifted youth, but E is undeterred - he secretly applies for a scholarship to attend the camp and is accepted. At camp, he finds himself to be a little fish in a big pond and his brother unavailable. Trying to prove himself, he takes on responsibility after responsibility, each of which he lets fall by the wayside in his attempt to secure time with his brother.
At a certain point, I could see everything was going to come crashing down around E's ears and that there was no stopping it; I'm pretty sure my heart rate was accelerated for the entire second half. Aside from the tension, I particularly enjoyed watching E grow into himself and develop friendships unrelated to his brother. At home amongst like-minded peers, E was able to embrace his "Blerd" self (Blerd means "Black nerd"), which he had been unable to do at home in his mostly-white school where the academic competition was close to nil. Rhuday-Perkovich perfectly conveys the uncertainty and contradictions of adolescence, the need to conform and the desire to be esteemed. E's experience will ring true to young readers who similarly are learning who they are and finding their place in the world. I would have loved to share It Doesn't Take a Genius with my students, and I'm eager to read with T when he is a bit older and better able to understand the passions of the characters (he'll need to know what a bassoon is, for starters).
It Doesn't Take a Genuis is a timely book for readers as we approach summer.
Emmett (or E, as he wishes to be called) is a 12-year-old big fish in a little pond who idolizes and depends on his older brother. His primary aim for the summer is to spend as much time with his brother as possible, before his brother leaves for an elite boarding school. His brother throws a wrench in those plans by accepting a counselor position at an academic camp for gifted youth, but E is undeterred - he secretly applies for a scholarship to attend the camp and is accepted. At camp, he finds himself to be a little fish in a big pond and his brother unavailable. Trying to prove himself, he takes on responsibility after responsibility, each of which he lets fall by the wayside in his attempt to secure time with his brother.
At a certain point, I could see everything was going to come crashing down around E's ears and that there was no stopping it; I'm pretty sure my heart rate was accelerated for the entire second half. Aside from the tension, I particularly enjoyed watching E grow into himself and develop friendships unrelated to his brother. At home amongst like-minded peers, E was able to embrace his "Blerd" self (Blerd means "Black nerd"), which he had been unable to do at home in his mostly-white school where the academic competition was close to nil. Rhuday-Perkovich perfectly conveys the uncertainty and contradictions of adolescence, the need to conform and the desire to be esteemed. E's experience will ring true to young readers who similarly are learning who they are and finding their place in the world. I would have loved to share It Doesn't Take a Genius with my students, and I'm eager to read with T when he is a bit older and better able to understand the passions of the characters (he'll need to know what a bassoon is, for starters).
It Doesn't Take a Genuis is a timely book for readers as we approach summer.
Note: A review copy was provided upon request for the purpose of this honest review.
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