I was sent a physical copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own. 

Twelve-year-old Grayson Lee White chronicles his life from age four to present day giving trans kids a voice and letting them know they're not alone. Grayson's story is joyous and hopeful though it does come with the challenges of being misunderstood by adults in his life and dealing with things most trans kids have to go through (and shouldn't have to) such as bathroom access, coming out, and making friends.

I highly recommend this book for teachers to teach their young students about trans kids and how to respect them as well as for parents of trans kids. But Dotson is a great read for anyone looking to read more about the trans experience from the perspective of a trans boy. I appreciated how detailed this book goes into puberty blockers by sharing the process, the specific name of the medication, AND showing the importance of trans kids going on puberty blockers and how they saved Grayson's life.

This is a light-hearted book but it still shows the everyday struggle of being a trans kid and the challenges they face. Dotson brought a smile to my face as I read about Grayson's journey to social transition and the trans joy he experienced. I'm so glad we have books like Dotson depicting a happy experience for trans kids because this should be the normal.

The back of the book provides resources for trans kids including books, hotlines & organizations, and LGBTQIA+ friendly places to look into. I appreciated that they weren't too generic since some of the organizations and places were new to me!

Note: Grayson's deadname is mentioned on page. But it is important to recognize that not *every* trans person hides their name and feels uncomfortable by it. It is up to trans people only to share their deadname, if they so choose. 

CW: (Minor) Racial profiling, bullying

Twin sisters, Maureen and Francine enter middle school. Francine is determined to live separated from her twin yet Maureen is still attached at the hip and not ready to let go. This is an excellent graphic novel that depicts the challenges of being a twin and shows the reality of middle school. I loved how different both girls were and I enjoyed reading their rivalry as they face each other in the student council elections.

I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

CW: Mentions of minor transphobic comments, microagressions and hate crime, mention of injury, bullying, homophobia, menstruation scene and illusions to gender dysphoria.

Camp QUILTBAG by A.J. Sass and Nicole Melleby has something for everyone whether you’re like me and would prefer tye-dying t-shirts opposed to kayaking and roller derby or you like ballroom dance and trivia, this middle grade book needs to be on your TBR. 

Kai (e/em/eirs) and Abigail (she/her/hers) are new campers at Camp QUILTBAG, a camp for queer and trans kids. Both kids are at camp for different reasons. Abigail wants to meet kids like her (she’s a lesbian who loves Jurassic Park, Laura Dern especially) after her friends at her Catholic school tease and shut her out for having a crush on Stacey’s mom. And Kai would rather be at home with eir friends doing parkour. 

Filled with queer and trans joy plus queer and trans kids getting into competitive rivalries and learning from their mistakes, this book truly has something for everyone. What I loved the most is how every kid is different. This book is such a great introduction into the queer and trans community for kids. As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think about how important this visibility is for kids to see neopronouns normalized and feel safe just like they would at camp. 

I especially liked how it shows and tells kids you don’t have to know right away and each kid at the camp is accepting of the other and accepting of not knowing your label. Camp QUILTBAG is a safe space for LGBTQIAP+ kids and readers.

It’s a great escape but doesn’t shy away from having important conversations. One that resonated with me was Abigail talking about not feeling pride in her sexuality and feeling lonely and isolated since she doesn’t know anything about the LGBTQ+ community. But through her time at camp, that changes. 

Highly recommend if you're in need of some hope, queer and trans joy and/or love books set at camp! 

CW: Suicidal thoughts, descriptive scene of a car accident, drunk driving, alcoholic parent, homophobic and transphobic comments and microagressions

Disability rep - Black girl side character/love interest who is an amputee and uses a prosthetic leg 

Might return but just wasn’t invested in the story! 

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an eARC of this book to review. All thoughts are my own.

CWs:  (Non-malicious) mentions of the main character’s deadname, Brief instances of misgendering, Online transphobia (anonymous nastiness directed at trans character),  Mentions/discussion of racism experienced by a character, Discussion of trauma as a result of bullying, Body dysphoria,  Mentions of previous (off-screen) sexual harassment experienced by a side character

This book feels like a warm hug. Always the Almost by Edward Underhill is the exploration of Miles Jacobson, a messy trans boy trying to navigate life and find himself after he comes out as transgender. 

This is Miles’s coming-of-age story filled with teenage angst, heartbreak, fuck ups, and a whole lot of joy. If you want more trans books about artists, queer youth, and trans joy, I cannot recommend this 2023 debut enough. From trying on his first suit, to being called “sir” and “dude”, you will be smiling at the joy radiating from Miles. But it’s not always that easy. He also has his gloomy days as he shows how brave yet hard socially transitioning can be especially as a teen. 

I love how raw Miles’s emotions were and how well written he is as a teenager. While reading, I constantly was on a rollercoaster of emotions as Miles thinks he’s doing the right thing but finally learns he’s made a lot of big mistakes that needs to confront and rectify. But he’s also called out on his behaviors and learns how to give his friends space and time. 

Aside from being a chaotic queer, Mile is also a musician. You follow Miles week after week as he practices for the Tri-State Piano Competition trying to beat his arch-nemesis Cameron Hart as his true, trans and queer self. I loved a lot of the knowledge and references to classical music as someone who isn’t in tune with that genre of music. This book had me smiling so hard and secretly wishing Paige, Rachel, and Eric were my friends in high school.  

This was ADORABLE. When I read books like these, they make me so happy that kids get these stories and get to see themselves. JoJo is a silly, seven-year old girl who is learning from the adults around her whether it be at home or at school. Throughout the book she learns about making friends and realizing who her true friends are. Any kid will be able to relate to JoJo's fears of not having a best friend and getting shots at the doctor.  I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

CW: racial slurs & swear words (on page, but are scribbled out), racism, hazing, racial microagressions, violence and blood (on-page), and emotional abuse

This was incredible. It's a short, fast-paced yet impactful read about NHL player, Akim Aliu and his life leading up to creating the Hockey Diversity Alliance. It feels like this book was written to promote the HDA which is good but I do wish it had a little more joy moments admist the trauma Aliu went through. I really enjoyed how his story didn't shy away from the truth and exposed the racist players and coaches, hazing, and the racism he experienced in the league from childhood to the age of 20-years-old.  This book will piss you off but in the right way. The way the NHL and any pro hockey league since the dawn of time has excused their racist players and coaches while shunning the players that speak out, Aliu exposes that here. I didn't know Aliu much prior to reading this and knowing his involvement in the HDA but now after reading "Dreamer", I know more about his life from living in Nigeria to Ukraine then Canada.  I also like how they broke the fourth wall showing Akim as an adult following himself as a child. The book also mentioned facts about the NHL draft and living with a billet family. As a long time hockey fan who knows a lot about the ins and outs of the sport, I was surprised to learn some new facts like how the coaches (in this case, it was the assistant coach) interview the billet family before selecting and pairing them with the player AND they play in the OHL from 16-20 years old. 


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