Nugget

by John David Anderson

The award-winning author of Posted returns with the story of two kids searching for something—deep-fried, or otherwise—to believe in.

Owen and Noah don’t always see the world the same While Noah frets about a dozen different crises halfway around the world, Owen simply struggles to get his math homework done. But they’ve been best friends for as long as they can remember, always had each other’s backs. And like so many other kids in their school, they’re struggling—because whether your mom works two jobs to keep the lights on in your mobile home (like Owen’s), or your brother is in treatment for cancer (like Noah’s), or you’re simply trying to deal with a world that feels broken, just getting through the day is a challenge.

But then, while Noah is pondering an oddly-shaped chicken nugget in their school cafeteria, divine inspiration strikes. Everyone they know has questions about this messed up world and their place in it, and the answers they’re given from grown-ups—their parents or teachers, politicians or pastors—don’t seem to cut it anymore. And so maybe, Owen and Noah think, they should come up with some answers themselves. Find something they and their classmates can all believe in. Something that speaks directly to them.

Like their own religion.

And so begins a deeply-felt, deeply-fried tale of friendship, love, and faith in which saving the world feels impossible, but saving each other might not be.

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 2, 2027

About the author

There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads' database

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Owen attends Park Valley Intermediate School in Indiana with his long time best friend, Noah. Noah's younger brother, Micah, has spent the last year dealing with leukemia and going in and out of the hospital. Owen has his own challenges; he doesn't see his father, who only sends child support because it is garnished from his wages, and his mother works at Target and at a local steak house just to keep the two in their trailer home. Noah is concerned about many world events, and often obsessed over something like the fate of penguins. When a school counselor tells students about the mental health crisis facing children, Noah takes it to heart, and starts to wonder if kids today need something. Any version of God gives people a feeling of meaning and purpose, and after much philosophical musing, Noah decides that a chicken nugget from his lunch that looks a little like an angel could be their new god. He's not impressed with mainline religions, and operates on the assumption that if the cookies you find in the supermarket aren't what you want, you bake your own. He names it Akym (Micah backwards), and starts to try to find converts at school. He gives little sermons (nuggets) at lunch, and soon has a small following. It's tough to outline the core beliefs of the religion, which are mainly to not be a jerk, but theboys decide that the main emphasis will be to help people search for answers on their own. The lunchtime gatherings eventually cause parents to complain, and the principal cautions the boys that they can't create a cult at school. They are vindicated, however, when their group helps to reach Austin, a boy who is struggling with problems at home and has escaped the attention of his teachers. Is their religion really necessary, or is it just another way to reach their classmates and build community.
Strengths: The best parts of this book were the realistic challenges that the characters faced. Owen has to spend evenings alone, and cherishes the hour that he can spend with his mother after school. Since he has never had dealings with his father, he doesn't miss him, but he wishes there were someone to make his mother's life easier. The other residents of the trailer park in which he lives add a lot of color, and watch out for him. Noah's worries are realistic, since his family is struggling to work through Noah's cancer treatments, and he can't really make sense of why this has happened to his brother. Even though the school addresses the mental health of students superficially, and teachers are supportive of the boys (I especially liked Mrs. Townsend), there's not much that schools can do. Trust me; I have an advisory group every day where I am supposed to have kids "build community" with total strangers in fifteen minutes. It's ridiculous. Anderson's note at the end aligns with the kind of religion Noah is trying to create; something inclusive, helpful, and benign that shouldn't be at odds with any established religion, even if god isn't meant to come with a side of fries.
Weaknesses: I was a deeply philosophical child in middle school and had a LOT of thoughts about religion, since I attended Confirmation Class in 7th grade. My best friend and I talked about this topic a lot, and I can vividly recall a sleepover where we came to the conclusion in the middle of the night that we didn't exist. I would have loved Noah's exploration of faith and definitely come to his lunchtime sermons, but wonder how philosophical today's tween readers are.
What I really think: This is a bit like Anderson's 2016 Ms. Bixby's Last Day, but lacks the action, adventure, and violence to cheesecake. Oddly, it reminded me a bit of Cormier's 1974 The Chocolate War, perhaps because of the idea that the world is a mess and we all have to do what we can to change it anyway. Anderson's writing often skews towards the philosophical; fans of his 2017 Posted will find this an interesting read.

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[Vicky]

This was an interesting book. Noah and Owen are best friends in 6th grade, and one day Noah takes a chicken nugget from his school lunch and says it speaks to me. He says we need something good in the world and something new to believe in. He makes the nugget his god and names it Akym. They make pamphlets that say feeling lost Akym can help. Other kids join in and Noah holds a meeting and kids begin asking for guidance like a self-help hotline. As more students meet outside at recess they talk about their worries. However, the principal calls them in and asks what they’re doing as he’s had some parental concerns. Noah says we’re just talking. The principal says get rid of the nugget. Noah has a better idea. What does he do, and will they be able to continue meeting?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Carlyn Morenus]

I really enjoyed this middle-grade novel. Best friends Noah and Owen invent their own god, AKYM, inspired by a vaguely angel-shaped chicken nugget in their school lunch. Sounds like a joke, but really, they're looking for hope, support, friendship, and a sense of direction. As more classmates join them for recess "Nuggets" and they share their hopes and fears, it also upsets some who see it as an attack on existing religions. Absurd, maybe, but what matters is that kids feel supported, heard, more hopeful. How it all ends? Well, you'll have to read it for yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.