OMG. I'm in love with this book.

The Best Man centers around growing up, a process that affects people of all ages. Archer is a kid who loves his dad, his grandpa, his uncle Paul, and the Chicago Cubs. He attends elementary school with a cohort of realistically all-over-the-place classmates: there's Natalie, who thinks she's a grownup and annoys everyone; Josh Hunnicutt, whose whole deal is that he's short; a bunch of other Joshes; and Archer's best friend Lynette, a smart, lovable, no-nonsense girl who always has Archer's back.

When the group reaches fifth grade, they get a new student teacher, Mr. McLeod, who challenges everything they know about the world. Archer is launched headfirst into young adulthood as he realizes that he has the power to bring people together if only he can pay attention to those he loves. With Mr. McLeod's lessons and leadership by example, Archer develops interests and takes action rather than passively letting life flow past him.

Peck brings chaotic elementary school to life in this novel, throwing in a media frenzy and a well-behaved service dog for good measure. I love the way Peck uses language; the writing is simplistic and yet it communicates so much about the characters and setting. The evolution of friendship is portrayed in all its ambivalent glory- sometimes you need a friend to knock some sense into you; sometimes you only need her to pretend she knocked you down so that your parents won't question your muddy clothes. Peck also handles the question of identity both carefully and realistically, considering that the point-of-view is that of a kid who loves his gay uncle and is still perplexed by what "gay" actually means. One of the very best scenes of the novel comes in the form of a school bullying event that is transformed into a deliciously satisfying teaching opportunity.

Unfortunately, I feel that the book falters a bit following Archer's transition to middle school. While stuck-up British rich kid Hilary is comical at first, he becomes a bit tiresome, and I would have preferred more time exploring some of the more demure secondary characters, like Raymond or Esther. I also wish that the adults' romance had been more visible on the page. So much of it happens behind-the-scenes, and the wedding seems to come about a bit inorganically given the lack of pages devoted to the development of the characters' relationship. However, I understand the factors contributing to this feeling of distance, including Archer's youth and frequent obliviousness as well as the intentional plot device of moving from wedding to wedding.

Overall, I thought this book was pretty spectacular. I read it in one sitting, and I loved the time spent in Archer's mind and life. This is definitely the type of novel that I think would be great to read with kids, as it has levity and humor without sacrificing substance.