Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow: The most joyful book you'll read this year!

Product Information

This is a kind book which frames the topic of a parent coming out with a gentle story about decent people dealing as best they can with seismic changes to their lives, and one which will be warmly welcomed by readers waiting to read about a story that mirrors their own.

Benjamin Dean crafts some brilliant comedy scenes in this sweet, heart-warming story about Archie’s determination to go to Pride in London to support his Dad. He is also great at conveying the rabbit-in-the-headlights psychological response of a pre-teen boy who cares about his family but doesn’t know how to express his emotions.Refreshingly, homophobia doesn't form the focus of this book, and all the main characters accept Archie’s dad’s sexuality without question: the pain comes from the split it inevitably causes in Archie's family. Archie Albright’s parents are splitting up. So far, so unhappily normal - but Archie senses his parents are hiding something from him. His mother seems angry but also sad, and yet his parents still seem to care for each other. It’s only when he overhears them arguing that he learns the truth – his dad is gay. Together with his best friends, Bell and Seb, Archie sets off on a heartwarming and unforgettable journey to try and fix his family, even if he has to break a few rules to do it… This joyful book has such heart, expertly navigating serious subjects around family, gender, and sexuality. Celebratory and advocating kindness, I’d recommend this book to all middle-grade readers. A real tear-jerker!' – Steven Butler, author of THE NOTHING TO SEE HERE HOTEL Archie Albright is a 12 year old boy, he lives with his mum, who recently split from his dad. All Archie knows is that they don't like each other any more and that they are keeping a secret from him. After a particularly embarrassing parents evening where they had a row, Archie runs off and is found by his friends, Seb and Bell. When they all return home with Archie, Mum and Dad are arguing - and the secret is out! But how can Archie make sense of it? He's too embarrassed to ask questions of his mum and dad, and tries to avoid his friends. He asks Oscar, his babysitter who is 17, but his cake based explanation bamboozles Archie!

All of these things are touched on briefly but never actually talked about, which is such a shame when you have a book for younger audiences who probably do not (fully) understand these things. When Archie's parents get divorced, he's sure there's a secret, but he doesn't know what it is. Eventually, his dad tells him he's gay, and this leads to conflicting feelings for Archie. He's mainly afraid things will change, and he doesn't want them to. But he wants to support his dad, and he thinks the best way to go about that is to go to London Pride. This was the EXACTLY the feel good, wonderful make me happy book I needed and trust me, you need it to! A middle grade fiction that’s all about acceptance, love, faith and loyalty for the people you love; even if there are times you may not understand them anymore. Together with his best friends, Bell and Seb, Archie sets off on a heartwarming and unforgettable journey to try and fix his family, even if he has to break a few rules to do it...

This is a really sweet book. Archie is a great, cheeky main character with a super engaging voice, who chatters away to you like you’ve been best mates for years. There’s a great emphasis on friendship here, which I loved; I feel like kids have such all-encompassing friendships and it was so wholesome to see Archie lean on his friends and how they rally together to support him in spite of their fears. There are lots of funny little moments (such as when his best friend needs to come up with a fake name and the first thing that springs to mind is ‘Eliza Barclay Card,’ a name she got off her mum’s bank statement) and tear-jerkers too. The end of the book in particular made me tear up – it was so warm and comforting and lovely, it felt like I was being hugged by this great big pride family. It’s a gentle, not-too-overwhelming introduction to the colourful world of the LGBTQIA+ community that no doubt seems alien to a lot of young kids. The final third of the book in particular has an almost magical feel to it – it’s so vivid and descriptive. Reading it was immensely comforting, because it’s so low-conflict and you had this guarantee that everything would be okay in the end that I find hugely reassuring – a happily ever after is a must for me, and I never doubted for a second that this book would deliver. It also has an absolutely GORGEOUS cover, it really catches the eye, I’m obsessed with it. A million kudos to the illustrator, Sandhya Prabhat; she did a phenomenal job. Disclaimer: A Physical Copy was provided via Simon and Schuster India in exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.

A brilliant, smart book with a good heart. It’s like a warm hug and I can’t wait for the next one’ – Danny Wallace, author of HAMISH AND THE WORLDSTOPPERS and THE DAY THE SCREENS WENT BLANK Yes, there are one or two tiny niggles I had with this (it's me. Of course I spot things that niggle at me), but I get why these issues are in the story and written in the way it was. And yet, this book was a joy to read and these niggles didn't effect my reading. Told in the voice of young Archie - who believes that adults don’t give him the c edit he deserves. He knows that there is something wrong with his parents. They aren’t in love with each other anymore & there is something seriously wrong because his father has not been living with them, and neither has he missed how much his parents have now been fighting with each other, say every time they are in the same room together.