Danny Constantino's First (and Maybe Last?) Date

by Paul Acampora

Between going to the middle school dance with his celebrity crush and watching his mom campaign to be the next town mayor, Danny has a lot to learn about life in the spotlight.

Genres: Middle Grade, Romance, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Teen

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2020

About the author

I was born in Bristol, Connecticut and grew up surrounded by an extended mob of parents, sister, grandparents, cousins, neighborhood kids, rabbits, dogs, nurses, engineers and others that, at various times, included musicians, Italians, Canadians, cancer survivors, gardeners, chicken killers, hair dressers, poker players, checker cheaters, pony riders, shopkeepers, factory workers, elementary school teachers, auto mechanics, rock and roll fanatics, massage therapists, several people who may or may not be dead, and a crowd of other miscellaneous wheeler-dealers. I went to school at St. Joseph Elementary School and St. Paul Catholic High School. I was a voracious reader as a kid. I still am. I attended the University of Notre Dame (GO IRISH!) where, thanks to my friend John Costello and his father, Dr. Donald Costello, I earned a degree in American Studies despite the fact that the only American places I’d ever visited were summer vacations on a beach at Rhode Island and occasional day trips around New England to watch jai alia, greyhound racing or the trotters with my grandfather who, with my Uncle Joe, taught me how to ride and drive a sulky behind my very own pony named Misty (that's me and Misty at left). After college, I wandered around the country for a few years. Despite what my mother might say, I did not steal her 1973 Buick Electra. Despite what my friends might say, the car was the color of summer gold. Not piss yellow. I've lived in every state that begins with the letter U or a C. I was a Student Conservation Association volunteer for awhile giving tours at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in southeast Utah. I spent a winter schlepping very expensive bags around the Rocky Mountains for guests of the Snowmass Lodging Company. As a Holy Cross Associate volunteer, I lived with a half-dozen friends in a tiny house in the San Francisco Bay area where we tried to be good people. I stayed in California to teach kindergarten at St. Patrick Elementary school in West Oakland. I got married (yahoo!), and my wife and I lived in “the heart of the bay,” Hayward, California for nearly ten years. When we decided to move, we put names of favorite places in a paper bag and pulled out a slip that said PENNSYLVANIA. So that’s where we live now. These days, I remain married to my best friend. I have a son and a daughter who keep me on my toes. I’ve got a day job and a kayak and tons of books that I love to read. I write early in the morning and late at night. My favorite place in the world is wherever my wife and kids are. I am especially happy when that place is next to a lake or in France. My favorite word in the dictionary is Naugahyde. I’ve been a vegetarian for about 20 years. My favorite non-home-cooked meal is cinnamon-raisin French toast plus black coffee at the Karlton Café in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. For the future, I hope my family and friends are safe, healthy and happy and that I will write dozens and dozens of new stories and novels, each one better than the last.

Reviews

[Brandy Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story perfect to hand to MG readers looking for fun, humorous fluff with a bit of age appropriate romance thrown in the mix. Loved the diverse cast of characters and the involvement of parents.

[Christie Maliyackel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another audiobook gem! Such a sweet story for middle grade. Natalie Flores Griffin — I’ve never heard a name repeated so many times in one story... clearly goes to show how devoted (obsessed?) Danny was with his crush. Super cute.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly delightful book.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny Constantino’s First (And Maybe Last?) Date is a breath of fresh air. It’s bright. It’s funny. It’s fast-paced. It’s just the kind of book to get you out of Pandemic Funk No. 326.

Danny and his friends practically jump off the page. Their quirky personalities combine to make a friend mashup one can only dream of.

Paul Acampora’s wit permeates the text, leaving you wanting for more.

I read Danny Constantino’s First (And Maybe Last?) Date in one sitting, and I’d happily go back and read it again tomorrow.

[Maureen Mrenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun story! I don't usually write reviews of books I read but as this is a new book, I wanted to share my enthusiasm for it with other MS parents or those who love MS fiction. A "rom-com" from the point of view of a middle school boy. I expect my 10-14 year old kids will enjoy this - both my son and daughter. I started reading it at bedtime and stayed up way too late waiting to see how it all turned out. I enjoyed Danny and Natalie and Ajay and Zoe and all their friends. I hope MS kids can see them as models of good friendships. Grandma and Shad were great adults to have around, too.

[Deena Lipomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventh grader Danny is not planning on going to the town's Halloween dance -- until he gets wrapped up in asking his former childhood friend-turned-Hollywood-star Natalie to come as his date. She says yes, and the whole town as Natalie fever, including his rom-com obsessed friend and his mom who is running for mayor. Will Danny's date be sabotaged before it begins? This hilarious, romantic comedy/brush with fame novel is perfect for middle school readers. Danny's innocence makes for funny moments, and his grandmother's personality is unexpected yet fun. A nice, light read with family dynamic substance.

[Jenny Ashby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danny is a winning character and this book has a great heart along with some laughs. It's another story where the parent is disconnected which is harming the main character but then we find out she's really great in the end if only the child had known the full story all along. I'm not buying it in this case. Aside from that side plot, Danny's story is full of the joy and pain of a first love, further complicated by the fact that his crush is a famous actress. Read it when you want something easy and fun.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle-schooler Danny Constantino invites his former classmate/bff to the school dance which will indeed be his first date. Complications arise from the start because his friend's sister actually sends the invitation and his date is none other than Natalie Flores Griffin who moved to Hollywood and became a big star. Fans of Hallmark movies will enjoy this "rom-com" (which Danny's friend Zoey keeps explaining).

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sometimes a group of seventh graders is like a sack of grasshoppers. That’s what Gram says. We’re all motion and noise. Plus we’re kind of gross. And according to the Bible, we might be a plague. Also, we eat a lot, so bringing us to a cafeteria is a very good idea. Still, I drift away from my friends once I get my cookies. Sometimes even a grasshopper needs a little time alone.”

Fantastic writing. It was quite fast-paced and truly funny.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this engaging and humorous. I'm not sure Danny really changed much during the course of the story -- the big argument between him and his mom was more of a fizzle. And his friends, especially Natalie Flores Griffin, were kind of preternaturally generous to him.

[Jennifer Goudeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and fun! I loved the varies cast, funny moments, and heartwarming conclusion. The book's self-awareness of romantic comedies made me snort laugh more than once, and I think that middle graders who love to laugh would love this book

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny quick read with a great premise. My favorite characters though are the grandmother and the bus driver ;-)

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and fun!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly middle school. Romance (minor) from the guy's point of view as Danny invites his old friend and current Hollywood starlet to the Halloween dance.

[Michael Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read with some great characters. Wish I could give it another half star.

[Kathi Hoyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and a great book for young middle school students.

[Amira D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Francisca Darney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theme of the book is good but the story line wasn’t very engaging. I feel like the story didn’t have a climax or turning point.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! I've had this on my kindle forever and am glad I picked it out to read. A cute middle school story!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Danny and his crew, including all the adults...with the exception of his mother. Grandma was fabulous though! Really fun book!

[The Teaching Distillery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, romantic comedy/brush with fame novel is perfect for middle school readers. A quick and fun read.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

SLJ recommended this; I thought it was a bit boring.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, first I listened to the audiobook. Upon finishing, I was scratching my head thinking I must have certainly missed something. So, I got a physical copy of the book and read it. Nope! I didn’t miss anything! This book has an extremely weak plot. What was the actual problem? Danny had a problem with his mom, but it was never resolved because she didn’t think there was a problem.

The description of the book says, “Between going to the middle school dance with his celebrity crush and watching his mom campaign to be the next town mayor, Danny has a lot to learn about life in the spotlight.” First of all, Danny and Natalie never go to dance. Secondly, Danny doesn’t learn anything about life in the spotlight. Throughout the course of the book, Danny’s character doesn’t change. He doesn’t learn any life lessons.

This book really fell flat. There’s no climax; no turning point for Danny or any of the characters. I’m just disappointed because it is one of our Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice nominees for 2023. I’m not likely to recommend this book to my middle school library patrons.

[Aaryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, funny romcom, perfect for middle school!