by Richard Peck
First published 2017
Archer Magill has spent five years studying the grown men he admires most. His grandpa designs buildings. His dad restores vintage cars. His uncle Paul simply excels at being himself. When Mr. McLeod arrives as the school's first male teacher, Archer finds a fourth mentor worth watching. Middle school brings new complications. Archer's voice refuses to change while everything else shifts around him. Daily surprises catch him off guard as he tries to decode adult behavior. The biggest revelation comes when two of his role models ask him to serve as best man at their wedding. Through moments that spark both laughter and tears, Archer discovers what it means to become the kind of man others can look up to. This small town story explores growing up, family bonds, and finding your place in a changing world.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, mentor
Setting: Middle School
Period: 21st-Century
232 pages · Library Binding · Turtleback