A nonbinary kid named Nolan is excited to dress up for their friend’s Chloe’s birthday party at the roller rink—but must speak up for themselves in the face of gendered activities.
When Nolan gets to the party, one of the other kids expresses surprise to birthday girl Chloe that she invited a boy, to which Chloe responds, “I didn’t. This is Nolan,” and Nolan explains, “I’m nonbinary.” The microaggressions keep coming, however, as the DJ announces a boys’ skate and then a girls’ skate. Nolan feels like they don’t belong and just wants to go home.
After watching the other kids have fun, however, Nolan approaches the DJ and whispers something. The DJ then dedicates the next song to Nolan and affirms, “Everyone is welcome to skate!”
This book seems intended to inspire nonbinary kids to speak up for themselves, which is admirable—but really, it should also be a wake-up call for adults not to create situations in which any kid has to advocate for their right to be included in activities that don’t need to be gendered. It’s a simple story with an important message.
Nolan and their mother read as Black; the other characters represent a variety of racial/ethnic identities.
