Murphy, Julie.
PUDDIN'
New York : Balzer + Bray, 2018
IL YA
ISBN 9780062418388

In Julie Murphy’s companion novel to Dumplin’, readers get to peek inside the lives of former pageant contestants Millie Michalchuk and Callie Reyes. While fans of Dumplin’ will be thrilled to revisit Willowdean’s world, readers new to Clover City, Texas, can enjoy Puddin’ as a standalone book. Seemingly polar opposites, Millie and Callie’s lives intersect when Callie is accused of vandalizing the gym belonging to Millie’s aunt and uncle. Callie’s world is turned upside down when she is kicked off the dance team and must spend all of her time working off the damages to the gym. An unlikely friendship unfolds as Millie tries to break out of the perky fat girl role and Callie has to navigate high school without her popular friends. In this story about the nature of truth and friendship, Murphy captures the voices of such different teens who find they may not be so different after all. (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award 2019-2020)