Superstar

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year!

Lester’s first-person narrative is honest and pure. -Kirkus (starred review)

Perfect for fans of Fish in a Tree and Wonder, this uplifting debut novel from Mandy Davis follows space-obsessed Lester Musselbaum as he experiences the challenges of his first days of public school: making friends, facing bullies, finding his thing, and accidentally learning of his autism-spectrum diagnosis.

Lester’s first days as a fifth grader at Quarry Elementary School are not even a little bit like he thought they would be-the cafeteria is too loud for Lester’s ears, there are too many kids, and then there’s the bully.

Lester was always home-schooled, and now he’s shocked to be stuck in a school where everything just seems wrong. That’s until he hears about the science fair, which goes really well for Lester! This is it. The moment where I find out for 100 percent sure that I won.

But then things go a bit sideways, and Lester has to find his way back. A touching peek into the life of a sensitive autism-spectrum boy facing the everydayness of elementary school, Superstar testifies that what you can do isn’t nearly as important as who you are.

A lovely, heartfelt narrative about the things we’ve lost, and the things we’ve found again. -Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner for The Wednesday Wars

I LOVE LESTER. -Linda Urban, author of Milo Speck, Accidental Agent and A Crooked Kind of Perfect