Before he became a reporter and host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, Scott Simon began his career working in a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Now, Simon returns to the setting in his debut middle grade novel, Sunnyside Plaza. Sally “Sal-Gal” Miyake works in the kitchen at Sunnyside Plaza, a residential program where she and other neurodivergent adults live. But after a series of suspicious deaths in her community, Sal-Gal and her fellow residents are bewildered-- are the deaths coincidental, or is there something far darker going on? Sal-Gal spearheads an investigation with her friends, though their quest for the truth is threatened by the stigmas of neurotypical people who may not be willing to listen.

Today on AirTalk, Larry Mantle sits down with author Scott Simon to discuss his debut middle grade novel.

Guest:

Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, and author of the new children’s book, “Sunnyside Plaza” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2020)