
Summary
In this elegant dual narrative, Essie is a thirteen-year-old girl feeling glum about starting a new school after her professor dad takes a temporary teaching position in a different town. She has 110 days here and can’t wait for them to end. Then she meets Ollie: delicate, blue eyes, short hair, easy smile. At first, Essie thinks she has a typical crush on a beautiful boy. But as her crush blossoms, she soon realizes that Ollie is not a boy or a girl, but gender non-binary.
Meanwhile,…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781250802095 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1250802091 |
| Author: | Ami Polonsky |
| Publisher: | St Martin's Press |
| Imprint: | St Martin's Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 336 |
| Release Date: | 9 August 2022 |
| Weight: | 260g |
| Dimensions: | 27mm x 132mm x 197mm |
| Audience Age: | 8 |

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Critics Review
A BookRiot Best Book for Pride Month!
Recommended Reading for NEA’s Read Across America 2022-23
“Hopeful and real, this story is electric. There’s a lot to love here; recommended as a first purchase everywhere.” –School Library Journal, starred review
“Polonsky (Gracefully Grayson, 2014) has written a hopeful and insightful text for young readers to explore
gender and sexual identity through an enticing story of friendship, family, and first love.” –Booklist
“Polonsky (Gracefully Grayson) sensitively handles Ollie’s gender identity while fully fleshing out their character. The novel makes a compelling argument, reinforced by an extended optical illusion metaphor, for looking at the world from another’s lens.” –Publishers Weekly
“Bigotry against Ollie is briefly addressed in one scene but is done so tactfully; it is clear that a great deal of empathy has gone into this narrative. The romance and chemistry between Essie and Ollie are also enjoyable. A charming, feel-good LGBTQ+ story.” –Kirkus Reviews
Ami Polonsky
Ami Polonsky is the author of the critically acclaimed Gracefully Grayson and Threads. She is a sixth-grade English teacher and a parent of two kids, one of whom is non-binary.
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