“if i had to pick one person to be in my corner, it’d be you. every time.”
“maybe it’s possible to belong in a hundred different ways to a hundred different people and places.”
“you can take the city person out of the city, but the city will always be in them. i think it’s the same for sisters. anywhere we go, we won’t leave each other. we couldn’t even if we wanted to. and we don’t. we never will.”

emily henry’s best work. beach read and people we meet on vacation felt like they were lacking a certain spark for me, but book lovers has it. it’s a firework display for all the sparks it contains. 

"small town pride" is one of the best lgbtq+ middle grade novels i've read -- authentic representation, a balanced mix of hope and fear, and realistic endings to real issues. i really enjoyed starting the story after jake, the main character, has already come out to his parents and his best friend: the story isn't about him coming out, but how he can be proud and confident in his town. the characters are strong, the writing is easy to fall into, and i loved stamper's discussion of how queer people shouldn't have to move to big cities to have a community that is proud of them and that they're proud to be a part of. "small town pride" shows that pride is created, not found, and you can make it anywhere.

*thanks to the publisher and netgalley for sending me an eARC!*

a perfect introduction to pride flags for all ages! i loved how colorful, inviting and fun this book was to read. children and their caregivers will easily be able to read through and understand not only what the flags represent, but why they're important. i learned a lot about the different colors in flags and their significance while reading this! the art is so bright and happy -- i will for sure be making it a staple of a pride display at the library soon. 

thanks to netgalley and jessica kingsley publishers for sending me an eARC!