Beekman's Big Deal

by Michael de Guzman

Twelve-year-old Beekman O'Day has spent his entire life moving from place to place with his wheeler-dealer father, Leo. They've lived everywhere in Manhattan, from hotels to apartments to rented rooms, and Beekman has attended nine schools. Now Beekman is in a new home and about to enter school, ready to go through the motions of meeting new kids and teachers. He knows that this lifestyle has got to go; that it's time to make a deal with Leo and put an end to their pick-up-and-go shenanigans. And with a little help from the neighbors and his first best friend, Beekman is going to do all it takes to make his big deal happen.

This sly and wise second novel charts the course of a young man who is discovering how to go somewhere new by standing his ground and staying in place.

Genres: Young Adult

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

I grew up seeing hypocrisy pretty much everywhere I looked. I still see it. I believe it must be conquered. I think love, hope, romance and our imaginations are the best way to do it. Most of all I believe that kids get the short end of the stick. We pay lip service to the idea that they are the future, but we short change them. Kids don't have the vote. They don't have lobbyists because they don't have money. Everything about their lives is determined by adults, often to their detriment.

I write about kids who populate the margins of society, who have something big to face in life, who take action on their own behalf, and who are aided along the way by adults who live on the margins themselves. I write about the world we live in, and the world inside my head. They tend to be quite different places.

My latest novel for kids and parents, GROWING UP RITA, is the story of a mother and daughter caught up with the problems of immigration. MELONHEAD and BEEKMAN'S BIG DEAL are now available in paperback and as ebooks.

I attended Trinity School in New York City, and the University of Rhode Island, where I met my wife. We live in Seattle, Washington with our dog, Banjo.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here & in Finding Stinko, de Guzman's young protagonists have to start fending for themselves in a world of less-than-stellar adults. Here the father is amiable and supportive, but not quite financially solvent. A fast read set in New York City for young readers navigating their growing independence. 6th - 7th grade.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice boy book

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, HORRIBLE cover art!

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok for a have to read for a school project but not recommend for a book lover it's a bit of a bore.