3.5
The Best Man
ByPublisher Description
Newbery Medalist Richard Peck tells a story of small-town life, gay marriage, and everyday heroes in this novel for fans of Gary Schmidt and Jack Gantos.
Archer Magill has spent a lively five years of grade school with one eye out in search of grown-up role models. Three of the best are his grandpa, the great architect; his dad, the great vintage car customizer,; and his uncle Paul, who is just plain great. These are the three he wants to be. Along the way he finds a fourth—Mr. McLeod, a teacher. In fact, the first male teacher in the history of the school.
But now here comes middle school and puberty. Change. Archer wonders how much change has to happen before his voice does. He doesn't see too far ahead, so every day or so a startling revelation breaks over him. Then a really big one when he's the best man at the wedding of two of his role models. But that gets ahead of the story.
In pages that ripple with laughter, there's a teardrop here and there. And more than a few insights about the bewildering world of adults, made by a boy on his way to being the best man he can be.
Archer Magill has spent a lively five years of grade school with one eye out in search of grown-up role models. Three of the best are his grandpa, the great architect; his dad, the great vintage car customizer,; and his uncle Paul, who is just plain great. These are the three he wants to be. Along the way he finds a fourth—Mr. McLeod, a teacher. In fact, the first male teacher in the history of the school.
But now here comes middle school and puberty. Change. Archer wonders how much change has to happen before his voice does. He doesn't see too far ahead, so every day or so a startling revelation breaks over him. Then a really big one when he's the best man at the wedding of two of his role models. But that gets ahead of the story.
In pages that ripple with laughter, there's a teardrop here and there. And more than a few insights about the bewildering world of adults, made by a boy on his way to being the best man he can be.
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3.5
Artemis
Created 4 months agoShare
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mxxtne
Created 6 months agoShare
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Clare Farus
Created 7 months agoShare
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“A very nice book. Some things are all too real about what it's like in 6th grade.
In the summery I know my typing/spelling isn't great I'll fix it when I have time later.
Summary for my memory
Young Archer is about to tackle the wilds of middle school in small-town Wisconsin, but he has strong male role models to help him through–his father, grandfather, and cool Uncle Paul: the kind of guys he’d love to be himself someday. As he and his quirky schoolmates all plunge into their sixth-grade cliques, their days are unexpectedly upended by the arrival of a student teacher–another cool dude, Mr. McLeod, who is perhaps an additional fellow for Archer to emulate.
Mr. McLeod turns out to be an excellent teacher and, in response to a bullying incident, he announces to the class that he’s gay: something unexpected for Archer and his fellow young adolescents to chew over.
But even more surprises await our main character. Down the road, he discovers that his beloved Uncle Paul is also gay and–one more thing–he and “Ed” McLeod are dating! How much more can Archer absorb when it comes to his heroes? Quite a lot, as it turns out, as we follow our endearing protagonist through his journey of pre-pubescent living and learning.
More in-depth summary.
Archer is in a wedding in first grade, he is ring bearer. Linett Stanly was the co-ring bearer. The wedding is for his grandmother’s friend’s wedding. He fell before the ceremony and ripped his pants and he was covered in mud. Linett brought him inside and took the blame for him being covered in mud. They cleaned him up the best they could, they sent them out and sadly he wasn’t wearing underwear so he ends him flashing the entire wedding, who laughed. His dad grabbed him and hid playing games.
His grandpa walked him to school and he learned his grandpa was the architect of most of the buildings. When he got there Linett was there. One kid came with a knife, Jackson. And Natalie who acts like she’s grown up. Jackson seemed to be mean and had it in for Archer. Jackson pulls out a pocket knife and threatens him to give him his cubs shirt, or the wriggly field 100th anniversary patch sewn on it. Jackson takes the knife and starts cutting the patch off telling archer not to move or he will bleed. Before he can actually cut the shirt the security guard comes in. Linette comes out of the bathroom the same time as Archer. (she probably got the guard)
Turns out she did, his mom tells him later at home. His Uncle Paul comes in and has a new shirt (cubs 100th anniversary patch shirt). He takes Archer out for a ride, they end up Infront of a big house. The Showalter’s (Jacksons house). Paul seems to know Jacksons dad (Bob) when he opens the door, his dad is there just to pick him up for the weekend. Paul works for public relations for wriggly field. Uncle Paul tells the dad that Jackson was caught with two knifes at school and that he pulled a knife on archer, Jackson says it’s a lie, the dad tells Jackson to get the mom and know if she has heard from school. The shirt uncle Paul had brought? As for Jackson, he gives it to him. They leave with Paul saying, he didn’t really want the shirt, figure out what he did want.
On the drive home Archer asks about if the dad and Paul were friends. He says not really that the dad was a big jock and everyone had a crush on Bob. Including him. Archer then asks what Jackson really wanted. Paul says a full time dad. Archer asks why did you give him the shirt if he wants a dad. Paul says well now that you have been in his house he will leave you alone. (he also said he might want to be a dad one day) Archer commnts as they get out of the car that he wants to be just like his dad, uncle paul and grandpa.
Uncle Paul was right, Jackson left him alone. And then moved away the next summer. He tells us some stories between 3rd 4th and 5th grade, until the night before 5th grade begain he woke up to grandpas cat scratching at his window, which is wired because the cat shouldn’t have been able to get up there and didn’t like anyone other than grandpa. He goes to see if somethings wrong and his sister comes up the stairs, she says you don’t see me. He said she was damp from the pool and he goes to check on grandpa, she says she was upstairs “asleep” for hours so she has to change her clothes. Archer finds his grandpa fell on the ground. Archer yells and an ambulance comes to bring him to the hospital. Grandpa had a stroke and they had to help him do a lot of stuff now. That year they had 3 teachers and a lockdown with a cop. Natilie and Linette seem to becoming friends but one day a boy runs to archer saying hey your girlfriends beating up natilie. They run to watch and yes linette is beating up natile. Linette is telling her to take back what she said, but natilie refuses saying its all true she got it from the adults. She lets natilie get up but when natilie keeps talking she gets mad again, archer comes over telling her to let it go, Linette calms down a bit and she starts to cry, he tells her to stop he has a plan, he took her hand to lead her away. If people make comments whatever hes going to help her. Natilie yells again, they wheel around, Natilie is saying Linette took her phone. Archer dragged her away. Linette says she will write down what the fight was about in a note later. Archer stops by the bathroom, and Josh is in there, he has Natalie’s phone. They left it in the bathroom up high. Linette’s note comes later that day, her parents are getting a divorce.
The day Natilie gets her phon back Archer comes home and finds a man on their front steps in a suit sobbing. He assumes it was a client of his moms. His mom calls him Brian, she tells him to go home. This is when archer finds out his mom isn’t a wedding planner but a counceller for couples in trouble. Linettes mom is gonna be their teacher
Mr mcloid is their student teacher. He's in the national guard and was in uniform when he got to school and the front office freaked and did a lock down when they saw him. It went all over the news and Mr mcloid became famous. =The students all really liked him. A few times Uncle Paul brought mr mcloy to dinner, he assumes because he's cool. He had an army dog he was taking care of until they got him a new job.
he class took a field trip to archers house because his dad and Grandpa made a scale model of all the things his grandpa designed. It's practically the whole city. His grandpa meets me mcloyd and accepts him whole heartedly. On Mr Mcloyd last day a boy in their class was missing at the start of the day so Archer and another student went looking for him. They found him in the bathroom his hands tied to the sink, and gay written across his forehead in pink dayglow magic marker. The boys started to get him free and clean his face up. Mr Mcloyd comes in and sees this he says he's going to 6th grade and it would help if those three came with. They agree and he tells the other class this is not ok. Gay is not just a word it's an identity, his identity. Archers shocked but when he tells his friend she says wow he must have spelled it out for you.
The grandpa dies soon after. They cremated him and most of him went to the cemetery but Archer and Uncle Paul took some to Wrigley Field so he could be there.
There they get to talking and Archer learns Uncle Paul is gay. He loves one man.
When he gets home his mom gets an email saying he won't go to his same school. That "demographic shifts in student population" are causing him to go to another middle school. He freaks. His mom said change doesn't wait until your ready.
6th grade year.
Natalie isn't coming back apparently her mom got married again and they moved. Her new step brother is Jackson showalter. He is having trouble recognizing people with their growth spurts. Lynette hits him before he realizes it's her. He says she has more shape. She said she was sent to fat camp over the summer and got a new haircut. And dyed. Lynette wants to be called lyn now.
Their teacher is a ditz and can't use the computer and the seventh graders steal their phones on lunch. Lynette thinks the girls are idiots so she will stay with him. She's now saying she's gonna marry Raymond.
After a few weeks they have adjusted to middle school. They are told there gonna have a forgien differently abled student in class next week.
That weekend they go for a drive and stop by Uncle Paul's cabin he rented for the summer. Mr mcloy is there with Uncle Paul. He and his dad go swimming, Archer realizes Uncle Paul loves mr mcloyd. His dad tells him Uncle Paul tends to cut and run on relationships. But Mr. McLoyd is a keeper. That he thinks they work really well together.
Archer tells him he's a keeper. Mr mcloyd tackles Uncle Paul into the lake and then Archer and his dad head home.
Lyn keeps showing underwear straps over whatever she's wearing. Archer doesn't get it. There supposed to have a new student. He comes in on a modernized wheelchair in a school uniform and cast on his leg. He has a British accent. His name is Hilary. His mom is the British consultant representing England in 13 states. They all had to sign a anti bullying contract first day of this school. Lyn is shy around the new kid. They tell him about the seventh graders and lunch and he says he has people for that. Hilary snaps his fingers and a huge man comes in, Reginald, his security guard while he's in the chair. They invite Easter to eat with them in the lunch room.
They go to the cafeteria and get lunch. Perry, and his friends show up (the boys who tied Raymond to the sink) they cash and phones. Hilary jokes with them and they keep demanding money until Reginald shows up. Hilary tells Perry he's banned from the lunch room until next May, that his mom needs to pack lunch. Everyone applauds and everyone eats in the cafeteria now. Hilary tells them his dad is a Lord. Lyn hovers around him.
His mom calls him in to talk one day. The paper was talking about what happened. She asks why the school can't protect the kids with their resources. Why does someone need a body guard. Then she says that the school hadn't seen Holly (his sister) in days. She and a friend are going looking at colleges.
They learn Hilary is staying in Jackson Showalter's house. There's a party around Halloween time.
One night Holly calls from her trip to a collage. Her friends car broke down. Uncle Paul and Archer Head out to go get them. They bring gas. He learns that Uncle Paul and Mr Mcloyd have broken up. Uncle Paul thinks they are too different, Mr McLoyd is training and saving up to go to the games in Paris. In 10 events. They find his sister. They fill her tank and all drive back home. On the way Archer asks Uncle Paul when he decided to be gay, and he replies it's not something you decide, how you live your life is a decision.
They all decided to not go to the Halloween party because the 6th graders were banned from parts of it. they decide to do a party at the showaters house. with their teachers being there chaporones. archers parents are going too and uncle paul is a chaperone. they are going as the scarecrow (mom) cowerdly lion (archer) and tin man (dad). Holly comes down as Dorthy. her grandma is dresses as Glinda. Uncle Paul just is dressed nice. They go to the party. The stanlys are ahead of them as Mrs and president lincon. Lyn is Mary Poppins. Lady Crustible is Cleopatra. Mrs robuck (the teacher who cant print and stuff) is her handmaiden. Lyn decides to go back to Lynette, and says she will be lady Lynette when she marries Hillary. Archer thinks he saw Mr Mcloyd and tells his uncle paul, uncle paul wants to sneak out the back. They all tell him that he loves Mr. Mcloyd and he will need someone to come home to when he's deployed. The tin Man takes off his hat revealing he is Mr Mcloyd.
Uncle Paul and Mr. Mcloyd are married in June. Dad is going to marry them, he got ordained online. Uncle Paul says Archer is best man, and Mr Mcloyd agrees and archer is both of their best man. During the Ceremony Uncle Paul is given away by his sister (Archers mom) and Mr. Mcloyd is given away by two of his teachers and all of his army friends and battalion. After the wedding ceremony the newlyweds come over and give Archer gold cufflinks as his best man gift.
The book ends with Archer reiterating the phrase he has said this whole time. Dad, Uncle Paul, Mr. Mcloyd, and Grandpa, the men he wants to be.”
Rick
Created 7 months agoShare
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“I really liked the theme and plot. I just didn't like that some things about the characters and school life were not realistic. However, it's a great story which ends in a gay wedding from a middle school student's perspective.”
About Richard Peck
RICHARD PECK (1934-2018) was born in Decatur, Illinois and lived in New York City for nearly 50 years. The acclaimed author of 35 novels for children and young adults, he won the Newbery Medal for A Year Down Yonder, a Newbery Honor for A Long Way from Chicago, the Scott O’Dell Award for The River Between Us, the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Are You in the House Alone?, a Boston Globe-Horn BookAward Honor for The Best Man, and the Christopher Medal for The Teacher’s Funeral. He was the first children’s author ever to have been awarded a National Humanities Medal, and was twice a National Book Award Finalist.
Other books by Richard Peck
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