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The Best Man by Richard Peck


The Best Man is a junior fiction novel by Richard Peck. It was on Publishers Weekly's list of top middle grade books of 2016. Archie is in sixth grade when he discovers his uncle is gay and marrying his favorite student teacher, Mr. McLeod.

Sex: Archie tells his mom that he already knows all about where babies come from and sex education class is mentioned a couple of times. Archie discovers that his uncle is gay and asks him several questions about dating.

Language: None.

Drug/Alcohol Use: None.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Archie loses a family member. While Archie was in the first grade, a fellow first grader pulled a knife on him in the bathroom. During fifth grade, Archie finds a classmate tied up in the bathroom with a clothesline and the word "GAY" written on his forehead. Bullying is the biggest concern violence-wise in this book.

Final Note: Archie is a super lovable character. He has a great relationship with his family and he is extremely brave when it comes to defending people who are bullied. His friendships are positive and I really enjoyed seeing how well he was able to communicate with his parents.
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