DEADPAN

In Eppley’s middle-grade novel, a bullied Milwaukee boy with a neurological disorder brightens lives with his delightful humor.

Most people can’t tell when seventh-grader Jackson is happy. He can’t smile or even move his eyes side-to-side because of Moebius Syndrome, a rare condition that causes facial paralysis. He loves telling jokes, much like his father, a popular standup comedian who left the family years ago. Jackson mostly keeps to himself while his best friend, Ethan, keeps the bullies at bay. He and Ethan plan to break a world record involving a bouncing basketball. Then Covid-19 hits; by the time eighth grade rolls around, he’s behind a face mask at a new school and making his classmates laugh uproariously. He also catches the attention of a girl he likes. But what will happen when his mask comes off? Will everyone see the same “blank face” that has caused so many others to treat him differently? Eppley’s exuberant narrative, which is written in free verse, hops excitedly from one situation to the next. Jackson confronts endless hurdles, including a reunion with his estranged dad, who has startling news for the family. The story tackles the boy’s condition frankly—one bully relentlessly mocks his drooping lip, and Jackson constantly worries that he’s the topic of people’s whispers. Comedy nevertheless takes center stage, and Jackson delivers all sorts—puns, knock-knock jokes, and lowbrow humor—that send others into fits of laughter, including Ethan, a familiar face at Jackson’s new school, and Jackson’s little sister, Maisie, whose giggles never stop (“Tell me jokes, Jackson, pleeeeeeease”). Although Jackson’s condition is rare, his plight is relatable as he learns about the ways in which people of various races, body shapes, and sexual orientations battle mistreatment and disrespect.

A struggling but charming protagonist distinguishes this touching story.