Book Review: Jesse and the Thinkers

Jesse and the Thinkers by Kenan John
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was delighted to have the chance to read a this book, which otherwise would have escaped my attention if it hadn't been pointed out to me. Jesse and the Thinkers I found to be a fun book which would make a good animated feature. Jesse is a boy that does not see reality in the same was as the rest of us. In this and his unconventional manner of problem solving I was reminded of my autistic son. I think this would be a wonderful book to introduce to children who are autistic or otherwise gifted to help increase their confidence, or to those children who have friends or classmates on the spectrum. I am not sure if the author -meant- to represent those children or not. I -do- wish that this book had been around when my son was much younger though. Reading it to him would have gone MILES in helping build his self esteem faster.

Readers that enjoyed Pennyroyal Academy, Harry Potter, or Gilbert and the Scepter of Silence will find this in their arena I believe. The story and characters are a bit quirky, which makes the adventure a bit tongue and cheek and will give the younger family members some giggles. That quirkiness is balanced well with a good bit of seriousness though as young Jesse and his friend Jake find themselves tied into the fate of Thinkland. It is a good story in what looks to be a coming of age series. I did find the writing a little simplistic at times, but that I believe to be due to the background most of my reading is in, and this is geared more to the younger set than for the older set. It's a good bridging book!

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