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BEWARE THE SMART KIDS
By MATTHEW J. KUSHIN

Lost. Miserable. Lonely. Desperate for something more. That's life for teenager Nolan Sussman until an ex-convict who knows the 5 secrets to happiness returns to town.

"Beware the Smart Kids is a story for teenagers...those who feel invisible, those who are hiding their pain, those who think they'll never find the answers, those who are yearning for something but don't know what. And it's a story for 'former teenagers' who are now trying to raise and love a teenager, but who have likely forgotten the hard parts of being one. Kushin's debut novel is a poignant coming-of-age story with relatable characters and a powerful message on finding happiness."
- Margaret Standafer, best-selling author of I Know an Old Lady.

Misfit troublemaker Nolan Sussman badly wants two things before high school ends: the attention of Gabi Meyers and the return of his runaway sister, Sarah. But when his latest prank goes awry, Nolan is nearly expelled. He's forced to spend his summer doing yardwork for Mr. Barno, a reclusive former high school teacher who spent 25 years in prison.


Nolan soon finds that despite the tragic mistake that landed Mr. Barno in prison, the old man has something even more elusive than Gabi and Sarah-happiness. Now, Nolan is determined to learn how to be happy, too. It's his chance to matter. His shot at a future. But secrets in Mr. Barno's past are preventing the once-beloved educator from having the will to ever teach again. Secrets the two outcasts will have to face together.

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  • Paperback: 370 pages

  • Publisher: Beacon Publishing Group 

  • Language: English

  • ISBN-13:  978-1961504134

  • Category: Teen & Young Adult | Fiction

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About Author

Matthew J. Kushin, Ph.D. is the author of the coming-of-age novel Beware the Smart Kids. He's an award-winning professor, author, and scholar at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He's the author of Teach Social Media: A Plan for Creating a Course Your Students Will Love, and writes Social Media Syllabus, a popular blog and resource tool for social media educators. Dr. Kushin is passionate about creating a more civil and kinder world. He is a senior fellow in the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications, where he also serves on the board of advisors. His blog, Social media Syllabus, contains assignments, detailed assignment plans, and other resources for social media educators.

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