Superstar

In an excellent first novel, Davis channels the idiosyncratic perspective and voice of Lester, a 10-year-old stargazer, as he makes the difficult transition from homeschooling to fifth grade. Layers of unspoken grief for Lester's astronaut father, who died five years earlier, loom large, especially because Lester's mother resists her son's avid interest in space. When she takes a job at the library and Lester starts school, Davis strongly sketches how his personality and quirks make for a difficult adjustment: Lester struggles with a bully, can't stand the cacophony of the cafeteria, lacks tact and social skills, calls out in class, and doesn't handle schedule changes well. Lester is an immensely sympathetic narrator as he navigates a friendship with a fashion-forward classmate, competes in the science fair, and participates in a kickball game. When he opens an official letter addressed to his mother, he discovers that he's been diagnosed with "autism spectrum disorder" and works to understand what that means. This unsentimental portrait of an endearing and memorable protagonist offers powerful insight into living with autism. Ages 8-12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 4-6--Lester loves two things: science and homeschooled life with his devoted mother. So it's a shock when Mom announces that Lester will be attending fifth grade in public school because she is going back to work full-time. The pair have been especially close since the tragic, mission-related death of Lester's astronaut father five years earlier; unresolved grief still haunts the family. Lester's behaviors make his transition to public school a challenge (he later discovers he has autism), but caring staff and a kindhearted classmate, Abby, offer support. Then the annual science fair gives Lester both a way to fit in and an opportunity he's been longing for: a chance to study space and flying, taboo subjects at home. Emphasizing characterization over action, the first-person narrative helps readers understand the social difficulties experienced by a child on the autism spectrum. In Lester and his mother, debut author Davis creates genuine, emotionally engaging characters who, over the course of the novel, grow and move toward heartfelt triumphs. While Lester's mother is aware of his behavioral issues, it is not clear whether she sought services for him before he received a diagnosis and IEP from his new school. This may lead to comparisons with Lynda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree, but Ally's and Lester's home lives are quite different. The book also overlooks Davis's larger story of a family recovering from devastating loss. VERDICT Give to sensitive readers who enjoy rooting for the underdog and to fans of realistic stories with scientific themes.--Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"I LOVE LESTER. And I did right from the start. Lester's story is beautiful, honest, and just the right amount of funny. Mandy Davis is a superstar."—Linda Urban, author of Milo Speck: Accidental Agent and A Crooked Kind of Perfect