Sorry You're Lost

Gr 6–8—Denny "Donuts" Murphy is a champion pretender. He is a whiz at feigning that he and his father have a great relationship, that he is content to be the class clown, that he doesn't worry about others' opinions of him, but most of all, he is gifted at pretending that his mother is still alive. To this end, Donuts even carries her old cell phone and "talks" to her when he needs a sounding board. Manny, Donuts' self-involved best friend, is neglected by his own mother and father and has taken to grieving the death of Mrs. Murphy as his own parental loss. Craving an all-encompassing distraction, Donuts lets Manny talk him into a candy-selling scheme designed to help the boys score dates for the upcoming seventh grade dance. The plan spins out of control, but through quick wit and innate charm, Donuts ends up coming out on top. Although the plot begins slowly, Blackstone manages to craft true-to-life characters who eventually work through their demons with their sense of self wholly intact. Readers looking for a modern tale about fitting in need look no further.—Colleen S. Banick, Westport Public Schools, CT