March 15, 2021
Three seventh graders struggle with family, community, and self. Libby and Jack live in a rural Vermont populated with broadly drawn families: entitled men, submissive mothers, bullies, and government-averse hunters with a fear of gender nonconformity. After opening in Vermont, the story shifts to Vincent, who lives in Seattle and is mocked by his peers due to his obsession with triangles, love of puffins, and unconventional clothing choices. The contrived conflict vaguely centers around trans and nonbinary youth, who are positioned as a problem to be resolved. A local bureaucrat threatens to withhold funds for Jack's school, citing a number of policy violations, including the absence of a gender-neutral restroom. Jack defends his school's right to run as it pleases, and, in the process, the well-meaning but clumsy boy makes comments that a horde of strangers--some angry, some more constructive in tone--interprets as transphobic. Ultimately, the comments lead him to understand things differently, including a matter that cuts close to home. Vincent meets T, a nonbinary homeless youth whose perspective is wrought through brief, poetic italics and who functions mainly to teach Vincent important lessons about gratitude and strength. Libby, the least involved in the conflict, also has the least-developed story arc and mainly functions to unite the narratives through postcards. This story puts forward many messages but never coheres as a story and treats trans and nonbinary youth as convenient plot points rather than fully developed human beings. Characters default to White. Mildly inspirational at best. (Fiction. 9-13)
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Starred review from April 15, 2021
Grades 5-7 *Starred Review* Libby makes cards with encouraging messages and leaves them in public places. Over a three-week period, her art connects an unlikely group of people, and the narrative develops each individual's story, gradually providing clues about their homes, families, and schools. Libby feels bullied by her own family, who wants her to play softball and be tougher. Jack is mourning the death of his younger brother, feeling guilty about the the accident that killed him and for not defending him more from their dad. Vincent's well-intentioned single mother is puzzled by his unusual clothing choices and devotion to math, triangles, Katherine Johnson, and puffins. In addition to those three seventh-graders, 16-year-old T has chosen to leave their family and live on the street rather than deny their nonbinary identity. Braden (The Benefits of Being an Octopus, 2018) sensitively demonstrates how isolating it can be to live with people who, despite good intentions, force their children to fulfill expectations that run counter to their own senses of self. Jack's school becomes involved in a funding debate related to gender-neutral bathrooms, resulting in a 12-year-old explaining to a kindergartener what it means to be trans. Vincent really wants to know if T "is a 'he' or a 'she, '" but T suggests using they. Inspired by Libby's cards, all the characters find ways to encourage each other, be less alone, and connect.
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