Written by Meet Lester! He’s a smart, funny ten-year-old kid with big ideas and an even bigger heart. And in the summer of 2017, he’ll be coming to a bookstore near you.
I first met Lester about a year and a half ago, which feels weird to say because at that point, I’d been writing his story for over six years. But until that snowy January morning when I received the initial cover art, I hadn’t ever really seen his face.
I think it must have been a side effect of writing in first person. I watched the entire story unfold through Lester’s eyes, which means I never actually saw his eyes. I saw everyone else. Mom. His friends. The kids who pick on him. His teachers and principal. I even knew exactly what the mean lunch lady looked like, and she appears in no more than three (I think) scenes.
But on this particular day, I finally got to see Lester.
And he was just right—with his brown, cowlicked hair, the paper airplane flying through his brain, and that slight smile of his. Looking at him on that perfectly imperfect blue background, both Lester and the book finally felt real to me in a way they never had before. It was a moment I’ll always remember.
And now, I finally get to share that moment with all of you!
Lester and I would like to thank illustrator Mike Lowery and the design team at HarperCollins who created this beautiful cover. Lester told me he loves it almost as much as science. And that’s saying a lot.
Mandy Davis 