It Doesn't Take a Genius
Regular price
€18.50
A hilarious and moving coming-of-age tale that explores the intersection between self and community and the complexity of Black identity as a boy wonders: if he's not who he's always thought he was, who exactly can he be?
"An exceptional novel with broad appeal." – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Emmett and his older brother Luke have always been "Batman and Robin," though they're quick to bicker about who's who. Spending the summer at a historic Black summer camp seems like a wonderful adventure for the two to share, but since Luke is there as a junior counselor, he seems to spend all of his time being everyone else's big brother, and ignoring Emmett.
As Luke seems to be moving on to new adventures, Emmett struggles in unexpected ways, especially in swim class and the "It Takes A Village" entrepreneurship class. Without his brother to turn to for support, Emmett works to build a new crew of "superfriends," who'll help him plan something spectacular for the end-of-camp awards night and celebration. Along the way, Emmett learns that no matter what, there can be many ways to define family.
It Doesn't Take a Genius is inspired by the feature film Boy Genius, starring Miles Brown, Rita Wilson, and Nora Dunn.
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the award-winning author of Two Naomis, Naomis Too, and Eighth Grade Superzero, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, a Notable Book for a Global Society honor by the International Reading Association, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People honor by the National Council for the Social Studies and CBC, and was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month. She is also the author of Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins (Quarto Kids) and Above and Beyond: Nasa’s Journey to Tomorrow (Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan) and editor of the forthcoming We Need Diverse Books anthology, The Hero Next Door. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.