This superb anthology for middle graders, with stories across the LGBTQ spectrum, includes ones by many of the luminaries of queer middle grade fiction. The tales here are of joy, strength, friendship, love, and community, spanning the realms of fantasy, realism, and in between. Some involve the challenges LGBTQ youth may face, but the emphasis is firmly on the positive and on the feelings that any child this age might feel: the uncertainty of growing up, the love and frustration of family, the ups and downs of relationships, and the pride of personal discovery. The characters are diverse not only across the LGBTQ spectrum, but also in racial/ethnic identities, physical abilities, and more. Notably, too, the protagonists are not the only queer characters in these stories. Other minor ones add to a sense of queer community (and there are even queer characters with queer parents).
The majority of protagonists are queer girls, followed by nonbinary youth. A few more stories centering boys (both trans and cis) might have helped the collection feel more balanced, but that is not to take anything away from the strength of the stories gathered here. The work of these award-winning and best-selling authors and graphic novelists shines in short form as it does in long, with engaging narration, humor, poignancy, and heaps of love. If you haven’t encountered the work of these writers before, this volume makes a fine introduction; if you have, it’s like spending time with old friends.
I give short summaries below, but have withheld major spoilers, which means you won’t quite realize all of the many fun surprises these stories hold. Go get this anthology today so you can discover them! This book will enliven any middle grade bookshelf (and likely continue to be loved well into the later teen years, if not beyond).
- In Alex Gino’s “The Purr-cle of Life,” a nonbinary child isn’t sure whether they are ready to move on after a beloved cat has died. A sweet story of how pets can offer comfort and companionship through life’s many ups and downs.
- In Lisa Jenn Bigelow’s “Girl’s Best Friend,” a young witch has a squish—“like a crush, but platonic”—on a new neighbor, and turns herself into a puppy in order to make friends. But will the deception backfire?
- Shing Yi Khor’s graphic/comic story “The Makeover” tells of a nonbinary kid’s first day in a new school. Their initial hesitancy is assuaged when they fall in with a group of other queer kids, who help them find their very own style—and community—through a trip to a thrift store.
- In Claribel A. Ortega’s “Paper Planes,” a bilingual girl named Flor is the translator for her Spanish-speaking parents when they need to communicate in English. Despite her communication skills, however, she doesn’t know how to tell her family about her attraction to other girls or to tell her crush that she likes her. Magical realism gives her a way to communicate with a neighborhood drag queen, however, and their deepening friendship helps her find the courage to share her truths.
- Lisa Bunker’s “Petra & Pearl” shows two transgender girls, geographically separate, finding support from each other online as they each navigate coming out to their parents.
- Justina Ireland’s “I Know the Way” moves between two connected stories, one set in the current time and one during the Civil War, each revolving around a different pair of girls.
- A. J. Sass’ “Balancing Acts” stars a nonbinary child (who uses e/eir/em pronouns) and is a talented gymnast, but who quit eir school team because the sport’s gendered competitions didn’t leave space for em. E meets a new friend who introduces em to a different sport where e just might belong.
- In Eric Bell’s “Come Out, Come Out Whenever You Are,” a gay boy confronts both school bullies and coming out.
- In Mariama J. Lockington’s “Devoyn’s Pod,” a girl navigates changing relationships among herself and her two closest friends from childhood.
- Mark Oshiro’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” focuses on a girl preparing to have her first crush over for dinner—with a surprise twist that I totally did not anticipate and won’t spoil.
- In Molly Knox Ostertag’s “The Golem and the Mapmaker,” another graphic/comic tale, a golem must escort a princess safely to wed the emperor. The golem is bound to the emperor’s will—but the princess is a little headstrong.
- Katherine Locke’s “The Wish and the Wind Dragon” stars a nonbinary child who is part of a pirate family. When they make a wish for wind to help propel their ship, they are challenged in ways they don’t expect. This tale of fantasy nevertheless includes a realistic theme of family and personal relationships.
- Marieke Nijkamp’s “Splinter & Ash” is another fantasy tale, this one about a child assigned female at birth who knows they are neither a girl nor a boy and wants to be a knight. A friend convinces them to dress up as their true self for a masked ball—and things don’t go as planned, as they never do at such balls.
- Aida Salazar’s “Menudo Fan Club” is a bittersweet story in verse about a friendship that is changing as two girls come of age.
- In Nicole Melleby’s “Stacy’s Mom,” a girl has a crush on her friend’s mom, and is mortified when news of this spreads among the students at her Catholic school.
- Ashley Herring Blake’s “Sylvie & Jenna” explores friendship and forgiveness and the relationship between two girls. One character is bi.
