Flight of the Puffin

The stories of four seventh-graders are woven together in this story about spreading kindness. Aspiring artist Libby is trying not to become a bully like her parents. When she makes herself a card with the message “You are amazing,” it finds its way into other hands, touching the lives of nerdy Vincent, who is trying to avoid being bullied; T, a nonbinary kid living on the street; and Jack, who recently lost his younger brother. Jack is trying to save his rural school from shutting down, but that means dodging the state requirement that it include an all-gender restroom, which makes Jack an unwitting tool for the anti-LGBTQ far right—not what he intended. On one level, this is an engaging and cleverly crafted tale about making a difference in people’s lives; unfortunately, the sections from T’s perspective are short and they are not given much character depth. Good, but could have been better.