I’m in a complicated situationship, a cloying mix of mummified passion and the sunk cost fallacy. Not to fret: it’s Audible. I subscribed years ago, as emedia struggled to put its feet to the ground. Had I any sense of foresight, I might have seen that the clunky, slow-loading Axis360 would inevitably fall for theRead More
A Charming Underdog Sports Story: Bea Mullins Takes a Shot by Emily Deibert
Bea Mullins is not good at sports. That’s just a fact she’s accepted after a lifetime of athletic humiliation. But when her middle school’s gym floods and she’s forced to join an after-school sport to compensate for PE class, she’s persuaded to join the Glenwood Geese, her school’s new all-girls hockey team. As it turnsRead More
A Sweet Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure: Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela
Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela is a middle grade adventure novel about two girls, a crown, and a kingdom crumbling away. June is the new kid in town, lonely and homesick and definitely not expecting to meet the princess of fantasy realm! But Galatea must find a way home to save herRead More
Rivals, Resistance, and Recovery: It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango
It’s All or Nothing, Vale is a middle grade novel-in-verse about seventh grader Vale, who used to be a champion fencer. And she will be again. She will. She doesn’t need a cane. She’s definitely not disabled. In fact, she’s returning to her fencing school just this week, and she’ll make up the losses from months of no fencing, PT, surgery, and recovery.
A Grounded Middle-Grade Sapphic Romance: Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt Review
Redwood and Ponytail is a middle grade novel in verse about two girls whose friendship causes them to question many of the norms in their lives. Tam is a tall, confident volleyball player with a strong support network of quirky characters; Kate is a cheerleader—scratch that, she’s the cheerleader, but she’s beginning to wonder if this is quiteRead More
An Engaging and Realistic Queer Coming of Age: Middletown by Sarah Moon
Content warnings: alcohol abuse/alcoholism, sexual harassment by an authority figure, parental neglect, bullying Middletown by Sarah Moon is a middle-grade/on-the-cusp-of-YA novel about 13-year-old Eli, whose mom’s stint in court-ordered rehab leaves her and her 17-year-old sister alone. Eli and her sister Anna are desperate not to be split up, so they lie. They claim their auntRead More
Sapphic Gothic Fantasy…for Kids! The Pale Queen by Ethan M. Aldridge Review
The Pale Queen by Ethan M. Aldridge is a poetic middle grade graphic novel that draws inspiration from fae myths and folklore to tell a story about the support it takes to pursue your biggest dreams—and the sacrifices we are and aren’t willing to make along the way. In particular, it will appeal to young readers lookingRead More
Queer Graphic Novels and Illustrated Books for Preteens and Teens
These four books are listed in order of suitability for middle-to-high schoolers and deal with the timeless experiences of feeling like an outsider, finding the fortitude to be yourself, and the need for proper communication with partners. They’re great books to start conversations about these things, and have lovely art that are sure to make themRead More
Grief and the Gay Supernatural Alliance: Jasmine is Haunted by Mark Oshiro
Jasmine Garza is tired of moving, she’s tired of switching schools, and she’s tired of her Mami not believing her. Ever since her father died, she’s been haunted—but not by him. By a ghost who wants to ruin her life, apparently, because it keeps getting her into trouble. She’s tried to talk to her MamiRead More
Queer Friendship and Active Shooter Drills: Fight + Flight by Jules Machias
Trigger warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, bullying, grief, gun violence in schools Fight + Flight has two main characters, Avery and Sarah, who take turns narrating. They attend the same school and each begins the book interested in the other. Bold, active Avery is openly pansexual; she knows she has a crush. And, as a middle schoolRead More
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