ABOUT THE REAL DEAL:
Not every friendship can be the real deal, but for Gabe and Oliver, that’s never been a question. Until now. Things still feel the same on the surface, they’re even making a comic about their friendship, but lately Oliver’s acting like he might be hiding something. Gabe can’t imagine what Oliver would be keeping from him; after all, they’ve known each other since preschool.
And then there’s Reuben, the new boy who just moved to town. He doesn’t talk—not ever. The other kids come up with mean ideas about why he’s silent and call him names behind his back. Gabe knows it isn’t right—but he and Oliver stay quiet, or worse, laugh along with the others just to keep from standing out.
Through the character he and Oliver create in their comic adventure, the experience they have babysitting twin toddlers, and with the help of a trouble-making seventh grader who gets sent to their sixth-grade class, Gabe begins to find his voice and become the realest-deal version of his own self. But if he does that— can he still hold onto his best friend, too?
Read more about my inspiration for THE REAL DEAL here
Buy THE REAL DEAL here
PRAISE FOR THE REAL DEAL:
“A brilliant, bold, and beautiful book. Lindsey Stoddard tackles tough, thorny topics with nuance and grace, never once compromising readability or relatability. She is the real deal.”
—JARRETT LERNER, Author-illustrator
“A book with real heart and real warmth; sure to be a real good addition to any bookshelf. This is a moving story about friendship, family, and the courage it takes to stand up to one's peers, a story that drew me right in and kept me absorbed until the last page. In a truthful, direct, and hard-hitting manner, Stoddard explores the cowardice of complicity, the pain of loss, the loneliness of guilt, and the cruelty of bullying. Like Reuben, this quiet book is an ode to the strength of silence, as well as the power of words.”
—PADMA VENKATRAMAN, Walter Award-winning author of The Bridge Home
“This genuinely thoughtful and ultimately joyful gem about friendship and the many ways that a voice has power is an absolute treasure. I was rooting for Gabe from the moment I met him and was captivated as he navigated his way through the small moments that have big meaning in middle school life, surprising himself along the way. The Real Deal is laced with humor and brimming with an abundance of heart-- vibrant, charming, and absolutely real.”
—OLUGBEMISOLA RHUDAY-PERKOVICH, author of Operation Sisterhood
ACCOLADES:
Junior Library Guild Selection