Matteo: A Modern Pinocchio Tale of Baseball, Magic, and What Makes You Real for Children (Ages 8-12)

A 2024 LAMBDA AWARD FINALIST

"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.

Michael Leali is an award-winning writer and educator. He earned his MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He is the author of the Golden Kite Award–winning novel The Civil War of Amos Abernathy and Matteo. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Michael currently lives in California.