Twelve-year-old Ulysses (Uly) is adjusting to life in a new town with his single mom. He knows that being the new kid won’t be easy, especially because of the port-wine stain on one side of his face, which draws questions and odd looks. As this novel in verse plays out, though, Uly finds purpose and confidence as he adopts a stray cat, meets neighbors with backstories of their own, and photographs the world around him. He’s even asked to document the mural project that his middle school is launching in collaboration with a local artist.
If this story was only about Uly’s personal growth, it would be moving enough—but it’s also a wider story of community. When one student makes an accidental splotch while painting the mural, the artist sweeps it into an arc and transforms it into rainbow, turning what was seen as a mistake into a beautiful part of the image.
One woman in the local area, however, sees this unplanned addition to the mural as a sign of support for the LGBTQ community. She thinks the rainbow was secretly plotted by the nonbinary artist and the school principal, a queer woman. The community member agitates at the school board to have the mural removed. (This unfortunately imitates real life as seen here and here, among other places.) The students have put hours of work into the mural, however, and don’t want it to disappear.
Author Rhonda Dechambeau shows the students rallying to save the mural, but stays away from trite or simplistic “let’s save the town” narratives in favor of something deeper. Uly’s involvement is complicated by his still-new relationships with his peers, particularly one who has been a bully; Dechambeau adds nuance to those secondary characters as well. And while the rainbow on the mural had not been intended as a symbol of LGBTQ pride, the students never deny that it could be, even as they argue that is has many meanings.
Uly, while not LGBTQ himself, is learning about LGBTQ people and identities; in addition to the queer adults mentioned above, there was a gay boy at Uly’s previous school, and one new friend has a nonbinary sibling. We see that LGBTQ people are simply part of his everyday world, and he speaks and learns about their identities matter-of-factly, not always with initial understanding, but without judgment.
The free verse format keeps the narrative spare and focused, while the recommended story thoughtfully blends messages about censorship, belonging, community, and perspective.
Uly and his mother read as White.
