Benny isn’t your average boy from Newfoundland. He lives in a retirement home that his mother runs, has an eighty-six-year-old best friend named Mr. Tom, knows more about fixing boats than video games, and has Mosaic Down syndrome. When Benny transitions to a mainstream classroom for the first time, the other students tease him for his difference. Except for Salma. She’s new, too, and not your typical Newfoundland girl: she’s tech-savvy, speaks Arabic, plays basketball, and isn’t afraid to eat lunch with Benny.
So, when Salma’s grandmother and several other residents in the retirement home are robbed, Benny asks Salma to help him catch the thief. Time is not on their side as an inspector threatens to close the home. And to make matters worse, Benny and Salma must crack the case while working on a class assignment with their bullies. Can Benny save his home and take a stand against the bullies once and for all? He’s about to find out.
I want to start this review by explaining what Down syndrome is. If you don’t already know, Down syndrome is a genetic condition where a person is born with an extra chromosome. This means that each cell in their body has 47 chromosomes instead of 46. Benny has a different type of Down syndrome, Mosaic Down syndrome, which means his body has a mixture of two types of cells: some with the usual 46 chromosomes and some with 47. Similar to autism, every individual with Down syndrome can be affected differently. In Benny’s case, he has most of the physical features but few of the health issues that sometimes come with Down syndrome.
Benny is such an endearing character. He knows what it’s like to be treated differently and is kind to everyone, even those who aren’t kind to him. Benny starts the story nervous about moving into the mainstream classroom with the kids who tease him. But with the encouragement of his new friend Salma, he gains confidence and learns to stand up for himself.
The two bullies got on my nerves. The way they treated Salma, in particular, disgusted me. Salma, whose father is from Tunisia, stands out in the primarily white Newfoundland community, and the bullies don’t take too kindly to this. One bully called her ‘the foreign kid,’ which shows how ignorant and close-minded they were. Here’s the thing about most bullies. They only pick on people who they think won’t fight back. Once you stand up to them and show that they can’t push you around, they back off.
The story starts with a list of Newfoundland Sayings. My favorite one was the word b’y (pronounced BYE), which refers to a buddy, a coworker, a sibling, and more, while also subbing in for any number of common phrases. So many sentences ended with the word b’y.
I listened to the audiobook, and I loved the Newfoundland accent. I got a real kick out of how the word ‘about’ was pronounced ‘a-boat.’
The overall mystery was suspenseful. It wasn’t just a few thefts. It turned out to be much bigger. And that’s all I can say about it without spoiling anything.
I recommend this book to fans of Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Old School by Gordon Korman.
Stay tuned next week for a special World Down Syndrome Day book review!