Stu Truly (Stu Truly Series #1)

by Dan Richards

Overview

Stu Truly is the coming-of-age story of 12-year-old Stu as he struggles to navigate the murky waters of adolescence when he finds himself living a lie—-that seems to be growing beyond his control—-to impress the new girl in school, now available in paperback!

When Stuart Cornelius Truly first sets eyes on the new girl, Becca, he staples his finger to his seventh-grade history assignment. The second time he sees her, he coughs up a bite of her lunch—-a vegetarian roasted pepper sandwich—-all over her sweater, and promptly lies, claiming that he, too, is a vegetarian. Their third encounter goes more smoothly, but Stu's lie turns out to be harder to keep than he expected, especially since his family owns a butcher shop.

In this hilarious, heartwarming, contemporary middle grade novel, Stu suddenly begins to realize the opposite sex exists (and isn't so bad, after all!). Can Stu learn to successfully navigate old friends, new crushes, and horror-filled school dances, or will his lie, intended to impress his crush, cause his world to fall apart?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781499808667
Publisher:	little bee books
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Series:	Stu Truly Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dan Richards grew up in a small town eating meat, avoiding vegetables, and cheering at the annual Irrigation Festival parade. He's a graduate of the University of Washington's Writing For Children Program, where he wrote his first picture book, The Problem with NOT Being Scared of Monsters. Stu Truly is Dan's debut novel. He lives with his family in Bothell, Washington. You can learn more about him at DanRichardsBooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

A charming tale of angst and self-discovery.

bestselling author of the Captain Underpants serie Dav Pilkey

05/01/2018
Gr 4–6—Sixth-grader Stu is a butcher's son who enjoys avoiding homework, killing video game zombies, and making good-natured fun of his friends. His world is shaken when a cute new girl joins his class. Suddenly, he finds himself agreeing to things like a square dance performance, attending a school dance, and saying that his family is vegetarian. This last one gets him into trouble when his dad creates a butcher-themed parade float. Stu's first-person narration is consistent, snarky, and genuinely funny. There is warmth among family members and within his circle of friends. The setting is modern but feels much older; friends call each other's houses on the phone to talk. Some stereotypes about family life and gender roles feel as if their lifted from the 1950s: Mothers are responsible for dinner and for reigning in daffy dads; girls care about lip gloss and dancing while boys daydream about zombies; kids use the word "lame" to describe something unpleasant; and vegetarians eat exotic food and organize protests. VERDICT Despite the antiquated tropes, the overall storyline is pleasant and humorous. A secondary purchase.—Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

School Library Journal

2018-04-25
One little lie can't hurt…it wasn't even told on purpose!Sixth-grader Stu Truly accidentally staples his finger to his history assignment when new girl Becca meets his eyes for the first time. But it wasn't locking eyes with her that caused the stapling incident, because a "new girl at school [is] about as interesting as, well, another girl in school," right? Then why does it feel as if there is a "zombie warlord in [his] chest" trying to escape whenever he has to interact with Becca? And why, oh why, does he tell her his family is vegetarian like hers—especially since his dad (and his grandfather before that) is a butcher?! Stu can't seriously, um, like her, can he? And how can he compete with tall, muscle-y, nice-guy Jackson? (Does Stu even want to?) And now his father has a harebrained idea to have a float in the Irrigation Festival parade to promote the family butcher shop, with Stu dressed like a slab of ribs; Becca will discover his lie for sure now. Richards' first novel utterly charmingly and convincingly depicts a boy's first crush on a female peer. Stu's confusion at his own actions leaps off the page, and many readers will identify. The supporting cast consists of everyday kids, and Stu realistically deals with the repercussions of his lie. The book subscribes to the white default.A promising and funny debut. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews