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Stu Truly #1
Stu Truly
Stu Truly is the coming-of-age story of 12-year-old Stu as he struggles to navigate the murky waters of adolescence when he finds himself living a lie-that seems to be growing beyond his control-to impress the new girl in school.
When Stuart Cornelius Truly first sets eyes on the new girl, Becca, he staples his finger to his seventh-grade history assignment. The second time he sees her, he coughs up a bite of her lunch-a vegetarian roasted pepper sandwich-all over her sweater, and promptly lies, claiming that he, too, is a vegetarian. Their third encounter goes more smoothly, but Stu's lie turns out to be harder to keep than he expected, especially since his family owns a butcher shop.
In this hilarious, heartwarming, contemporary middle grade novel, Stu suddenly begins to realize the opposite sex exists (and isn't so bad, after all!). Can Stu learn to successfully navigate old friends, new crushes, and horror-filled school dances, or will his lie, intended to impress his crush, actually cause his world to fall apart?
When Stuart Cornelius Truly first sets eyes on the new girl, Becca, he staples his finger to his seventh-grade history assignment. The second time he sees her, he coughs up a bite of her lunch-a vegetarian roasted pepper sandwich-all over her sweater, and promptly lies, claiming that he, too, is a vegetarian. Their third encounter goes more smoothly, but Stu's lie turns out to be harder to keep than he expected, especially since his family owns a butcher shop.
In this hilarious, heartwarming, contemporary middle grade novel, Stu suddenly begins to realize the opposite sex exists (and isn't so bad, after all!). Can Stu learn to successfully navigate old friends, new crushes, and horror-filled school dances, or will his lie, intended to impress his crush, actually cause his world to fall apart?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2018
9 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 3, 2018
Received an ARC of this book from Yellow Jacket Press.
I LOVED this hilarious middle grade debut! Stu Truly shines a light on that awkward transition between childhood to the pubescent years. In this story, meat loving Stuart Truly's first crush is the new girl in his class who also happens to be a vegetarian. He lies about also being vegetarian but then throughout the story, continues to get himself in hilarious circumstances as a result. Ultimately a sweet, funny story about the importance of being oneself and co-existing happily with others who make choices different from ours.
Highly recommend this!
I LOVED this hilarious middle grade debut! Stu Truly shines a light on that awkward transition between childhood to the pubescent years. In this story, meat loving Stuart Truly's first crush is the new girl in his class who also happens to be a vegetarian. He lies about also being vegetarian but then throughout the story, continues to get himself in hilarious circumstances as a result. Ultimately a sweet, funny story about the importance of being oneself and co-existing happily with others who make choices different from ours.
Highly recommend this!
September 20, 2018
This was a hilarious read. Loved it.
January 13, 2022
Cute, fast, funny lunch break read.
October 29, 2018
Stu Truly is about a middle school boy named Stu that's father is the owner of a butcher shop. Everything is normal, because after all, in his town, everybody eats meat and they view vegetables as almost a horrific thing. Then a new girl shows up at Stu's school. Her name is Becca, and it turns out that her family is vegetarian. Again, this doesn't seem to bad, until the two world's collide and Stu says he is vegetarian too in an attempt to bond and make her like him. As the days go on, Stu has a lot of close calls about his meat-eating habits when he talks to her, but how long will this go on? It also seems like his father is brewing something up for the town festival that could end his connection with Becca. How will Stu remain in control over this situation? I liked this book because of the humor and the author's depiction of middle schoolers. Anybody that wants to read a book with humor and laughs would enjoy this book. However, I only gave this book four stars because it had an ambiguous ending. Overall though, I liked this book.
April 29, 2019
SO cute!
June 6, 2019
Such a cute book, I laughed out loud several times!
January 30, 2024
Copy provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter
Stu generally hangs out playing video games with his friend Ben, who torments him about some of his past exploits, but when a new girl, Becca, moves to his school, he is entranced. So entranced that he even tries a bit of her roasted red pepper sandwich and claims to be a vegetarian just like she is. The problem? His father runs the local butcher shop, and Stu's relationship with vegetables is antagonistic at best! Still, Becca actually talks to him and gives him Joe's Smokin' Peas (aka fiery peas of death) to eat at lunch, so Stu sticks by his assertion that he is vegetarian, and even volunteers to help with Becca's campaign to get vegetarian entrees offered at lunch. Stu isn't completely sure about Becca's affections, and agonizes when she dances with Jackson in the gym class square dancing unit. As the town's Irrigation Festival approaches, there are lots of plans being made. Stu's father has a super secret plan that involves a float in the parade... as well as some interesting meat related costumes. Becca ramps up her campaign for vegetarian entrees, there are school projects (including Mr. Snedecker's food log), a square dance exhibition, and lots of pairing up of couples. Stu and Ben are a bit confused about their new reactions to girls, but they do their best, asking Becca and Kirsten to go to the festival with them. There are rides, tests of skill, and the parade. Will Stu be able to hide his true self (as well as his family) from Becca? And if she finds out, how will she feel?
This is a brilliant book for several reasons. It has the romance of Peirce's Big Nate, the misadventures of Greenwald's Charlie Joe Jackson, and the family involvement of Landis' The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody. Stu is the quintessential middle school student who latches onto something that seems like a good idea and holds onto it even when it doesn't work any longer. It is completely believable that a 6th grade boy would tell a girl he was a vegetarian just to impress her, but the fact that Stu sticks with it just adds to the humor. The plot has a singular point (the festival and his unveiling) that offers a solid and unconfusing framework for a series of hysterically funny anecdoctal events that showcase Stu's process of maturation while still causing me to dog ear every tenth page with a funny line on it.
The supporting characters are amusing foils for Stu's half baked ideas. His father shows a similar misplaced enthusiasm which is particularly fun to see, since middle school students are so often apples to their parental units respective trees, but this is not often shown in the literature. Ben, with his giggle, is a great friend. Becca has her own interests, and while she is somewhat interested in Stu romantically, there are plenty of other things going on in her life.
The best part of this book is the writing. The amount of lines that made me snort with laughter quickly became too numerous to count. From a zombie apocalypse being just a few bad wieners away to "her hand shriveled up her sleeve like a frightened turtle" (page 101, ARC) to the fact that without girls, the boys would be on the top of a ride barfing their guts out, this was Sonnenblick quality one liners combined with the slightly gross, embarrassing humor that middle school students love. The cover definitely points out that this book will be funny, and does not disappoint.
My only quibble is that Stu and his friends are in 6th grade. (This was changed in the finished version.) There are a lot of my 8th graders who would not want to pick this up because the characters are younger, and they would be missing out. Some tweens discover romantic prospects in 6th grade, but some are new to them even in high school, and readers would miss a fantastic story, with the rare inclusion of vegetarian characters, if they are only willing to read "up". I'm definitely purchasing two copies of this, and suspect neither will ever be on the shelf, mainly because friends will hand this off to other friends before the book is ever checked in!
Stu generally hangs out playing video games with his friend Ben, who torments him about some of his past exploits, but when a new girl, Becca, moves to his school, he is entranced. So entranced that he even tries a bit of her roasted red pepper sandwich and claims to be a vegetarian just like she is. The problem? His father runs the local butcher shop, and Stu's relationship with vegetables is antagonistic at best! Still, Becca actually talks to him and gives him Joe's Smokin' Peas (aka fiery peas of death) to eat at lunch, so Stu sticks by his assertion that he is vegetarian, and even volunteers to help with Becca's campaign to get vegetarian entrees offered at lunch. Stu isn't completely sure about Becca's affections, and agonizes when she dances with Jackson in the gym class square dancing unit. As the town's Irrigation Festival approaches, there are lots of plans being made. Stu's father has a super secret plan that involves a float in the parade... as well as some interesting meat related costumes. Becca ramps up her campaign for vegetarian entrees, there are school projects (including Mr. Snedecker's food log), a square dance exhibition, and lots of pairing up of couples. Stu and Ben are a bit confused about their new reactions to girls, but they do their best, asking Becca and Kirsten to go to the festival with them. There are rides, tests of skill, and the parade. Will Stu be able to hide his true self (as well as his family) from Becca? And if she finds out, how will she feel?
This is a brilliant book for several reasons. It has the romance of Peirce's Big Nate, the misadventures of Greenwald's Charlie Joe Jackson, and the family involvement of Landis' The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody. Stu is the quintessential middle school student who latches onto something that seems like a good idea and holds onto it even when it doesn't work any longer. It is completely believable that a 6th grade boy would tell a girl he was a vegetarian just to impress her, but the fact that Stu sticks with it just adds to the humor. The plot has a singular point (the festival and his unveiling) that offers a solid and unconfusing framework for a series of hysterically funny anecdoctal events that showcase Stu's process of maturation while still causing me to dog ear every tenth page with a funny line on it.
The supporting characters are amusing foils for Stu's half baked ideas. His father shows a similar misplaced enthusiasm which is particularly fun to see, since middle school students are so often apples to their parental units respective trees, but this is not often shown in the literature. Ben, with his giggle, is a great friend. Becca has her own interests, and while she is somewhat interested in Stu romantically, there are plenty of other things going on in her life.
The best part of this book is the writing. The amount of lines that made me snort with laughter quickly became too numerous to count. From a zombie apocalypse being just a few bad wieners away to "her hand shriveled up her sleeve like a frightened turtle" (page 101, ARC) to the fact that without girls, the boys would be on the top of a ride barfing their guts out, this was Sonnenblick quality one liners combined with the slightly gross, embarrassing humor that middle school students love. The cover definitely points out that this book will be funny, and does not disappoint.
My only quibble is that Stu and his friends are in 6th grade. (This was changed in the finished version.) There are a lot of my 8th graders who would not want to pick this up because the characters are younger, and they would be missing out. Some tweens discover romantic prospects in 6th grade, but some are new to them even in high school, and readers would miss a fantastic story, with the rare inclusion of vegetarian characters, if they are only willing to read "up". I'm definitely purchasing two copies of this, and suspect neither will ever be on the shelf, mainly because friends will hand this off to other friends before the book is ever checked in!
September 16, 2019
This book is entirely lacking in plot. The main character stumbles through the story with zero agency.
He has no plans, no goals. His dad has a goal and ropes Stu into it. The girl at school who Stu likes has a goal and ropes Stu into it. Stu's best friend has a goal and ... you guessed it... ropes Stu into it. At no point does Stu drive the story forward. Consequently, the pace of the story felt painfully slow. There was nothing on the horizon that Stu was working to achieve, which made the whole thing draaaaag.
The only upside, is that Stu's voice is pretty fun. Unfortunately, it does not sound like the voice of a twelve year old kid.
Also plausibility issue abound! I know this seems silly, but the author does not seem to know that zucchini bread tastes like cake. How is it possible a kid A) has never eaten zucchini bread, B) thinks it tastes like green paste? Seriously, the standard recipe is mostly sugar. It's small, but ya know, it doesn't take much to pull me right out of a story and this was an eye-roller.
And what school in this day and age doesn’t have vegetarian options? If you're gonna set up a protest at school designed to get them to add vegetarian options to the menu as the climax of the book, it's gotta be believable. And it just isn't. (This, in fact, relates to the theme of the book which is that meat is bad and a vegetarian diet is good. Which may be true, but it was handled in a very heavy-handed, pedantic way. We get it. Kids eat too much junk food! Okay already.)
Finally, the parents’ relationship was straight outta the 1950’s with the dad moaning about how he doesn’t understand his wife or any women in general. It felt really out-of-touch with the world today.
He has no plans, no goals. His dad has a goal and ropes Stu into it. The girl at school who Stu likes has a goal and ropes Stu into it. Stu's best friend has a goal and ... you guessed it... ropes Stu into it. At no point does Stu drive the story forward. Consequently, the pace of the story felt painfully slow. There was nothing on the horizon that Stu was working to achieve, which made the whole thing draaaaag.
The only upside, is that Stu's voice is pretty fun. Unfortunately, it does not sound like the voice of a twelve year old kid.
Also plausibility issue abound! I know this seems silly, but the author does not seem to know that zucchini bread tastes like cake. How is it possible a kid A) has never eaten zucchini bread, B) thinks it tastes like green paste? Seriously, the standard recipe is mostly sugar. It's small, but ya know, it doesn't take much to pull me right out of a story and this was an eye-roller.
And what school in this day and age doesn’t have vegetarian options? If you're gonna set up a protest at school designed to get them to add vegetarian options to the menu as the climax of the book, it's gotta be believable. And it just isn't. (This, in fact, relates to the theme of the book which is that meat is bad and a vegetarian diet is good. Which may be true, but it was handled in a very heavy-handed, pedantic way. We get it. Kids eat too much junk food! Okay already.)
Finally, the parents’ relationship was straight outta the 1950’s with the dad moaning about how he doesn’t understand his wife or any women in general. It felt really out-of-touch with the world today.
May 28, 2018
Okay, so when I was at the booth for this one and the sales woman was telling me about it, she said something like “…and as you can see, he’s dressed up as a piece of meat.” And I replied with “Not just any meat- choice cuts.” And we had a good laugh because Spongebob jokes.
So here we have a kid, Stu Truly, who is on the cusp of puberty and is about to discover girls and the crazy things he will to in order to impress said girls.
Like seeing the cute new girl, Becca, eating an all-veggie lunch and telling her that his family is vegetarian, too!
Except they’re not. They don’t even do veggies that much. They actually own a butcher shop, and Stu’s dad wants him to be in a parade float dressed up as some prime ribs for the town’s Irrigation Festival.
This is probably going to ruin everything for Stu, since he’s deeply committed to the lie, going so far as to help Becca plan a protest in the cafeteria over their lack of veggie options.
Every page of this oozes the sheer awkwardness of middle school- noticing girls! (or boys!) School dances! Squaredancing in gym! Sweaty palms! And is this a first date or are we going to the carnival as friends? Sheer poetry! I was never a twelve-year-old boy, but reading this gives me a much better idea of what puberty might have been like for the other side. And Richard’s writing is so funny I frequently had to stop and quote what I was reading to anyone within earshot.
My only complaint about this book is what kind of zucchini bread has the author been eating? Because I make this stuff all the time and it is most certainly not green and it tastes sinfully delicious! Dan! Hmu, man, I’ll give you the good recipes!
So here we have a kid, Stu Truly, who is on the cusp of puberty and is about to discover girls and the crazy things he will to in order to impress said girls.
Like seeing the cute new girl, Becca, eating an all-veggie lunch and telling her that his family is vegetarian, too!
Except they’re not. They don’t even do veggies that much. They actually own a butcher shop, and Stu’s dad wants him to be in a parade float dressed up as some prime ribs for the town’s Irrigation Festival.
This is probably going to ruin everything for Stu, since he’s deeply committed to the lie, going so far as to help Becca plan a protest in the cafeteria over their lack of veggie options.
Every page of this oozes the sheer awkwardness of middle school- noticing girls! (or boys!) School dances! Squaredancing in gym! Sweaty palms! And is this a first date or are we going to the carnival as friends? Sheer poetry! I was never a twelve-year-old boy, but reading this gives me a much better idea of what puberty might have been like for the other side. And Richard’s writing is so funny I frequently had to stop and quote what I was reading to anyone within earshot.
My only complaint about this book is what kind of zucchini bread has the author been eating? Because I make this stuff all the time and it is most certainly not green and it tastes sinfully delicious! Dan! Hmu, man, I’ll give you the good recipes!
July 16, 2018
As I went to Barnes and Noble looking for a new book, I first made eye contact with the cover and thought, “What the heck could this book be about!??” It shows a boy wearing a meat ribs outfit with a girl walking by him. I absolutely had to read more about its summary and after I did I also noticed that this was Dan’s debut novel and I was simply sold on everything about this book and I bought it.
As I started to read the book with my two kids nearby, I just kept laughing and giggling out loud! I just couldn’t help it. The book is filled with great bits of humor that flow throughout the book. The story is of Stu who is overtaken by Becca, the new girl at school. He soon finds out that she is a vegetarian and he begins to pretend that he and his family are full-fledged vegetarians as well, n order to capture her heart. Stu’s dad is the local town butcher and far from being anti-meat. How long will Stu be able to hide this secret from Becca?
The story for me has everything that I would want from
a book. It reminded me about the phases I went through as well during 6th grade and on, and the awkwardness of learning how to approach and be with girls. The story has lots of heart as well as you find yourself cheering on Stu and Becca.
I’m a 6th grade teacher and I will absolutely share this with my students this year. I am planning on reading it as a read-aloud and know that my students will have a great time with it as well. It is definitely one that I will remember.
As I started to read the book with my two kids nearby, I just kept laughing and giggling out loud! I just couldn’t help it. The book is filled with great bits of humor that flow throughout the book. The story is of Stu who is overtaken by Becca, the new girl at school. He soon finds out that she is a vegetarian and he begins to pretend that he and his family are full-fledged vegetarians as well, n order to capture her heart. Stu’s dad is the local town butcher and far from being anti-meat. How long will Stu be able to hide this secret from Becca?
The story for me has everything that I would want from
a book. It reminded me about the phases I went through as well during 6th grade and on, and the awkwardness of learning how to approach and be with girls. The story has lots of heart as well as you find yourself cheering on Stu and Becca.
I’m a 6th grade teacher and I will absolutely share this with my students this year. I am planning on reading it as a read-aloud and know that my students will have a great time with it as well. It is definitely one that I will remember.
August 15, 2018
I received a free review copy of Stu Truly from the publisher. All opinions are my own. Stu Truly is a light-hearted MG about a boy whose family owns a butcher shop developing his first crush on the new girl at school, who is a vegetarian. Before he can stop himself, Stu announces that he is a vegetarian, too. This makes for a hilarious setup for their for their budding friendship, culminating in the town parade in which Stu's dad makes him dress up like a rack of ribs.
The author's dry humor is unique in this age range, giving young readers a lot of credit for their ability to detect sarcasm. Stu's humor shines in his observations of the changing landscape of the world around him as he and his male friends start to become interested in girls. At its best, it is self-deprecating and incredulous, adding to the likability of Stu and his crew. Many young readers will relate to Stu's confusions and uncertainties. And his equally silly and kind friends add to the fun.
I was disappointed with two aspects of the book. First, the gender-based humor often felt tired. A lot of out-dated narratives are reinforced that don't feel relevant or helpful. This detracted from the otherwise smart humor the author is clearly capable of. On top of that, all of the characters are white, which contributed to the lack of universal relevance for this generation of readers.
The author's dry humor is unique in this age range, giving young readers a lot of credit for their ability to detect sarcasm. Stu's humor shines in his observations of the changing landscape of the world around him as he and his male friends start to become interested in girls. At its best, it is self-deprecating and incredulous, adding to the likability of Stu and his crew. Many young readers will relate to Stu's confusions and uncertainties. And his equally silly and kind friends add to the fun.
I was disappointed with two aspects of the book. First, the gender-based humor often felt tired. A lot of out-dated narratives are reinforced that don't feel relevant or helpful. This detracted from the otherwise smart humor the author is clearly capable of. On top of that, all of the characters are white, which contributed to the lack of universal relevance for this generation of readers.
August 6, 2018
@kidlitexchange #partner #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit
Stu Truly By Dan Richards
(On sale date: 7/3/18)
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
In this hilarious middle-grade novel a sixth-grader’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of a new girl. Stu is a video game loving, meat-eating guy who has never paid attention to girls. The arrival of vegetarian Becca changes everything. Suddenly Stu finds himself doing crazy things like stapling his finger, eating raw Brussel sprouts, pretending he is vegetarian, and spending a great deal of time lost for words with his heart thumping and stomach twisting. His best friend, Ben, is also distracted by a girl— Becca’s friend, Kirsten.
By day, Stu finds himself helping Becca plan a protest to encourage more vegetarian lunch options at school. By night- he gets pulled into his father’s plans to create a float for the annual town parade, promoting meat consumption and his butcher shop. As expected, tension rises to a laugh-out-loud level.
A perfect book for middle-schoolers navigating first crushes and anyone wanting some comic relief in their life. Fast paced and delightfully witty. Enjoy!
Stu Truly By Dan Richards
(On sale date: 7/3/18)
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
In this hilarious middle-grade novel a sixth-grader’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of a new girl. Stu is a video game loving, meat-eating guy who has never paid attention to girls. The arrival of vegetarian Becca changes everything. Suddenly Stu finds himself doing crazy things like stapling his finger, eating raw Brussel sprouts, pretending he is vegetarian, and spending a great deal of time lost for words with his heart thumping and stomach twisting. His best friend, Ben, is also distracted by a girl— Becca’s friend, Kirsten.
By day, Stu finds himself helping Becca plan a protest to encourage more vegetarian lunch options at school. By night- he gets pulled into his father’s plans to create a float for the annual town parade, promoting meat consumption and his butcher shop. As expected, tension rises to a laugh-out-loud level.
A perfect book for middle-schoolers navigating first crushes and anyone wanting some comic relief in their life. Fast paced and delightfully witty. Enjoy!
December 4, 2018
I was fortunate enough to read a copy through #LitReviewCrew, and my opinions are all my own. I will definitely be purchasing this novel for my classroom library. I fell in love with Stu Truly and his awkward first crush. As I was reading, I chuckled so many times! Dan Richards does an amazing job of portraying the angst that is middle school with all of its changing dynamics and confusion. Even though Stu lies to Becca, claiming he is also a vegetarian when his dad in fact owns the butcher shop in town, you can't help root for him. The story has perfect pacing, giving you just enough of the crazy ride that is middle school without dragging. I thought of several students personally while reading this story and can't wait to book talk it. I am sure it will be a well-loved book in our library because it is both relatable and funny. Along the way, Stu learns that it is best to be honest about who he is. I was impressed with the conclusion; Stu's much better response serves as a lesson to all students that it is possible to be yourself.
April 11, 2019
From the very first sentence of this book, I was on board and in love. Dan Richards has created a very real child in Stu Truly. This is a middle grade novel with quite a few morals (dealing mostly with lying and acceptance) but it never feels preachy or like it is pushing an agenda. And I love that it dealt with showing kids that healthy foods can be tasty! We have all dealt with being tempted to lie to make people like us more but Richards, though Stu, shows that being yourself is the best. He also does some great exploration of family dynamics and how family helps to define an identity. But mostly this book is just a load of fun. I had to force myself to stop reading parts out loud so that my roommates would have to read it as well.
January 7, 2019
Well I obviously loved it enough to finish it in one sitting! I first heard about the book because I follow the cover artist in Instagram and thought it was so adorable I needed to get my hands in it! So naturally the next time I went to the bookstore I had to hunt down a copy!
I thought this book was so adorable and awkward that I mean how could you not love it?! This was such a fun and fast read! How loved Stu and how dramatic he was, because let's face it middle school is the time to be overly dramatic!!!
I'm honestly not sure how it will resonate with the age group it was intended for, but as an adult I can say that I loved it!
I thought this book was so adorable and awkward that I mean how could you not love it?! This was such a fun and fast read! How loved Stu and how dramatic he was, because let's face it middle school is the time to be overly dramatic!!!
I'm honestly not sure how it will resonate with the age group it was intended for, but as an adult I can say that I loved it!
September 12, 2018
This book made me laugh, hard and that is an uncommon thing. Stu Truly hits the middle grade reader sweet spot - there is a great best friend (Ben), a worthy crush (Becca, who is almost perfect except for her vegetarianism), a central dilemma: Now that Stu Truly has blurted out that he's a vegetarian too, even though his family owns the town butcher shop, how is he going to keep Becca from finding out his dark secret? Add zombie fighting (Stu and Ben's favorite video game), a square dance gone wrong, puberty, and a meat float in the Irrigation Festival parade and you've got a funny, fresh page turner. I stayed up late for this one.
May 18, 2020
This is as adorable as one might expect and pitch perfect for a 7th grader. Very realistic depiction of the stirrings of first love/crushes and all the drama that goes with it.
Sex? No. That would be terrible as all the characters are 7th graders! It's mentioned that one couple kissed for the first time. All pretty innocent stuff.
Swearing/Profanity? Maybe a little? I don't remember anything jumping out.
Violence? No.
Magic? No.
LGBTQ + characters? Not specified.
Could a conservative Christian school library include it?
Absolutely! Stu does have a problem with the truth but, by the end of the book, he learns that it's not worth keeping up a lie.
Sex? No. That would be terrible as all the characters are 7th graders! It's mentioned that one couple kissed for the first time. All pretty innocent stuff.
Swearing/Profanity? Maybe a little? I don't remember anything jumping out.
Violence? No.
Magic? No.
LGBTQ + characters? Not specified.
Could a conservative Christian school library include it?
Absolutely! Stu does have a problem with the truth but, by the end of the book, he learns that it's not worth keeping up a lie.
July 27, 2019
The perfect book about being a teenager! Though I was never a teenage boy, I do recall many of these awkward moments where you hit yourself in your imagination for something stupid.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It wasn’t too fast, it didn’t drag on, and Stu is a like-able guy who makes a few naive mistakes. I chuckled out loud a few times, that’s for sure. Highly recommend to kids and adults alike!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It wasn’t too fast, it didn’t drag on, and Stu is a like-able guy who makes a few naive mistakes. I chuckled out loud a few times, that’s for sure. Highly recommend to kids and adults alike!
August 9, 2018
I really liked this. It was funny right from the start. The boys at my school are less apt to pick up realistic fiction and tend towards sports, fantasy, historical action and nonfiction. I am not sure my 9-10 year old boys are ready for MS realistic fiction like the girls are. Would definitely buy if I was a MS librarian!
May 7, 2019
Oh Stu! What a hilarious story! I have yet to read a middle grade romance told from the boy’s point of view. Everything he is going through, all of his thoughts and silly mistakes, is absolutely real and hilarious.
September 14, 2018
Really captures 6th grade jitters. A little pay ending but it’s just a nice read.
September 20, 2018
Stu's coming-of-age story is truly hilarious. Truly.
October 13, 2018
Had me laughing out loud several times!
November 19, 2018
Amazing! Great writing with just the right amount of detail. Funny and fascinating. I didn’t want to put it down.
July 9, 2018
While not a book that I necessarily loved, I do think that 4th through 6th grade boys will enjoy this one. Thank you to the #KidLitExchange for a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Stu Truly is your average 12 year old boy. He likes to play video games and hang out with his friends. He and his friends haven't really started having "relationships" but when Becca moves to town he is entranced. The comical part happens when Stu tells Becca that he is a vegetarian because she is and he is looking to gain her favor. This is comical because the only vegetables that Stu really eats are potatoes and corn and his father owns the town’s butcher shop.
Stu really has to figure out what is important to him, who he is, and who his friends are. He also comes to appreciate that everyone can have their own likes and dislikes, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be friends. Stu and his friends have to experience all of the awkward, embarrassing moments that middle school can bring and deal with that inner voice always wondering if the boy or girl you like likes you (that way); if what you are going through is the same as everyone else; and how to navigate the social world of the school lunch room. The only real negative that I have is that Stu is supposed to be in 7th grade, but it feels younger. Perhaps that is to counter the fact that kids like to “read up” so a book that is great for a 5th grader needs to have a main character a few years older.
Stu Truly is your average 12 year old boy. He likes to play video games and hang out with his friends. He and his friends haven't really started having "relationships" but when Becca moves to town he is entranced. The comical part happens when Stu tells Becca that he is a vegetarian because she is and he is looking to gain her favor. This is comical because the only vegetables that Stu really eats are potatoes and corn and his father owns the town’s butcher shop.
Stu really has to figure out what is important to him, who he is, and who his friends are. He also comes to appreciate that everyone can have their own likes and dislikes, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be friends. Stu and his friends have to experience all of the awkward, embarrassing moments that middle school can bring and deal with that inner voice always wondering if the boy or girl you like likes you (that way); if what you are going through is the same as everyone else; and how to navigate the social world of the school lunch room. The only real negative that I have is that Stu is supposed to be in 7th grade, but it feels younger. Perhaps that is to counter the fact that kids like to “read up” so a book that is great for a 5th grader needs to have a main character a few years older.
June 6, 2021
This is a great books for young teens and tweens especially those just entering middle school. It talks about the twists and turns of school and the consequences you could have in certain situations. I read this when I was a bit younger so if you are over the age of 12 or 13 I don't think you would enjoy this book.
October 18, 2022
Laugh out loud funny! My daughter and I laughed so hard we cried reading this book😂
January 3, 2023
Great, hilarious coming of age book!
April 1, 2023
Cute middle grade story about a meat-loving boy who lies to impress his vegetarian crush.
October 9, 2024
I LIKE HOW IN THE END HE CHOOSES TO BE HIMSELF.
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