Deadpan
- 2025 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Juvenile Fiction (Children's)
12-year-old Jackson has never smiled. Born with a rare form of facial paralysis that causes his mouth to droop, he is taunted for looking different. When the pandemic strikes, Jackson moves to a new school, where masks are required. Emboldened by his father’s encouragement and the fact that no one can see his face, he revels in his newfound popularity as the class comedian. But Jackson knows he can’t hide his face forever. And when the mask comes off, he fears he'll be bullied again.
