Join Anderson’s Bookshop for an in-person event and signing line with author Michael Leali, to celebrate the release of Matteo.

This event will be held in our Naperville store location (123 West Jefferson Ave), and pre-registration is required as space is limited. $24. Click here for complete details and registration.

More about Matteo

"This enchanting, modern homage to Pinocchio reminds us anything is possible if we're true to ourselves." —Cynthia Leitich Smith, award-winning author of Ancestor Approved and Sisters of the Neversea

Eleven-year-old Matteo has never felt like one of the other boys. He’s sure that will change when he joins the Blue Whales, the baseball team his dad once played for. This is his chance to grow into a son his father can be proud of.

And grow Matteo does, but not the way he expected. Instead, he starts sprouting leaves and finding bark all over his skin. Alarmed, Matteo starts digging for the truth about what’s happening to him—and finds that all clues lead back to the oak tree at the center of town, which Creeksiders have always believed is a little bit magic. As his parents start noticing something is wrong, the truth gets harder to hide—and Matteo makes some surprising discoveries about himself, his hometown, and his entire family tree.

From Michael Leali, author of The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, this earnest deconstruction of what it means to be a “real boy” is full of humor and heart, and a surefire home run for readers of Mark Oshiro, Anne Ursu, and Katherine Applegate.

About the Author

A historical reenactor in his youth, Michael Leali is now a writer and educator. When he’s not dreaming up stories, he’s probably playing a board game, eating cheese, or grading papers somewhere in the suburbs of Chicago. Visit Michael at www.michaelleali.com.