After an outburst lands Simon in the principal's office, the boy relates the events that led to this situation. Since his father left, Simon has had trouble controlling his emotions, referring to them and other aspects of his personality as boxers facing off in the ring. On this fateful day, a number of Simons don their gloves. Simon the Confident receives a playground blow from Simon the Frozen, withering under the words of a bully. Simon the Joyous and Simon the Good Student also make valiant appearances, but when Simon the Lazy and Simon the Grumpy join forces during science class, poor decisions are made. Monette, a former teacher and pedagogical counselor, brings her expertise to this book, giving abstract concepts form and substance. The illustrations effectively implement the boxing motif, which, along with the encouraging words from Simon's uncle and appended reader exercises, will help children apply Simon's boxing metaphor to their own feelings and actions. The result is a deliberate but useful tool for children struggling to achieve emotional balance and control.