Unusual characters, interesting and thoughtful. quite a bit of philosophical thoughts by main character. I skipped the middle. ( )

children's middlegrade fiction (quick-witted, Black 7th grader who has been placed in "special needs" class becomes an automatic suspect when a gun is found near his school)
I loved Thelonius' character and I think kids would relate to and appreciate his voice. I lost interest in it because I was too distracted and may try to come back to this book at another time. The beginning seemed very promising. ( )

Thelonius is a leader and has a reputation for behaving badly, a reputation that ends him in the Special Ed classroom. When someone hides a gun in the park next to the school, he's immediately suspected. He makes it his mission to figure out who did this in order to keep the heat off the students in the Special Ed class. From teachers who want to put him on a better path, to his mom who believes in him fiercely, to teachers that are always suspicious, Thelonious and his best friend Nehemiah scheme and try to figure out what really happened.
A quick read with engaging characters. ( )