The Greatest Superpower - 13 Year Old Jorge's Dad Comes Out as Transgender, Prompting Jorge's Re-Thinking Gender, Power, Loyalty, and Conformity.

The Greatest Superpower by Alex Sanchez

It's the summer before eighth grade, and thirteen year-old Jorge Fuerte wants nothing more than to spend his days hanging out with his fellow comic-book-obsessed friends. But then everything changes. Jorge's parents announce they're divorcing for a reason he and his twin brother, Cesar, never saw coming--their larger-than-life dad comes out as transgender.

Jorge struggles to understand the father he's always admired, but Cesar refuses to have anything to do with him.

As Jorge tries to find a way to stay true to the father he loves, a new girl moves into the neighborhood: cool, confident, quirky Zoey. Jorge must face his fears and choose between being loyal to his brother or truthful about his family's secret. Although he's no superhero, Jorge already has the world's greatest superpower--if he decides to use it.

I'm a big fan of Alex's work, and so excited that we'll be having a virtual conversation as part of the April 6, 2021 launch party for my No Way, They Were Gay?

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Drama Queens in the House - 16 Year Old Jessie Discovers Her Father's Cheating on Her Mother with Another Guy

Drama Queens in the House by Julie Williams

Sixteen-year-old Jessie Jasper Lewis doesn't remember a time in her life when she wasn't surrounded by method actors, bright spotlights, and feather boas. Her parents started the Jumble Players Theater together, and theater is the glue that holds her crazy family together. But when she discovers that her father's cheating on her mother with a man, Jessie feels like her world is toppling over. And on top of everything else, she has to deal with a delusional aunt who is predicting the end of the world. Jessie certainly doesn't feel ready to be center stage in the production that is her family. But where does she belong in all of this chaos?

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A Home for Goddesses and Dogs - Middle Grade about Loss, and Family, and Love... and "the world's best bad dog"

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor

It’s a life-altering New Year for thirteen-year-old Lydia when she uproots to a Connecticut farm to live with her aunt following her mother’s death.

Aunt Brat and her jovial wife, Eileen, and their ancient live-in landlord, Elloroy, are welcoming—and a little quirky. Lydia’s struggle for a sense of belonging in her new family is highlighted when the women adopt a big yellow dog just days after the girl’s arrival.

Wasn’t one rescue enough?

Lydia is not a dog person—and this one is trouble! He is mistrustful and slinky. He pees in the house, escapes into the woods, and barks at things unseen. His new owners begin to guess about his unknown past.

Meanwhile, Lydia doesn’t want to be difficult—and she does not mean to keep secrets—but there are things she’s not telling...

Like why the box of “paper stuff” she keeps under her bed is so important...

And why that hole in the wall behind a poster in her room is getting bigger...

And why something she took from the big yellow dog just might be the key to unraveling his mysterious past—but at what cost?

Add your review of "A Home for Goddesses and Dogs" in comments!

PS - thanks to the unknown commenter on this blog's The Middle Grade Bookshelf post for the heads-up on this one!

Summer of a Thousand Pies - A Middle Grade Book About a Girl Who Finds Home With Her Estranged Lesbian Aunt (and Then Has To Fight To Save It)

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway

When Cady Bennett is sent to live with the aunt she didn’t even know she had in the quaint mountain town of Julian, she isn’t sure what to expect. Cady isn’t used to stability, after growing up homeless in San Diego with her dad.

Now she’s staying in her mother’s old room, exploring the countryside filled with apple orchards and pie shops, making friends, and working in Aunt Shell’s own pie shop—and soon, Cady starts to feel like she belongs.

Then she finds out that Aunt Shell’s shop is failing. Saving the business and protecting the first place she’s ever really felt safe will take everything she's learned and the help of all her new friends. But are there some things even the perfect pie just can’t fix?

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The Unbelievable Oliver and the Four Jokers - Young Readers Will Love The Magic & Mystery (And Oliver's Best Friends in 3rd Grade, Twins Teenie and Bea, have Two Dads!)

The Unbelievable Oliver and the Four Jokers by Pseudonymous Bosch, illustrated by Shane Pangburn

Eight-year-old Oliver dreams of being a professional magician, even though he has terrible stage fright. And now, his friends Teenie and Bea have gotten him invited to a classmate's birthday party as the paid entertainment! Desperate for help, he visits The Great Zoocheeni's Magic Emporium, but comes away with nothing more than a moth-eaten top hat.

Oliver is in for a lucky surprise, though. Inside that top hat hides a wisecracking rabbit named Benny, who agrees to help Oliver with his act. But at the party, Oliver is accused of robbery! He'll need to solve the mystery of the missing robo-cat to clear his name before he and Benny can amaze the crowd with their grand finale.

Pseudonymous Bosch is the "infamously anonymous" New York Times bestselling author (of the Secret Series) and very nice guy who may or may not be "the alter ego of Raphael Simon, a totally unrelated author who lives in Pasadena, California, with his husband and twin daughters."

"The Unbelievable Oliver and the Four Jokers" even has a magic trick for the chapter book's readers to learn at the end! Add your review in comments!

Social Intercourse - A Gay Teen and a Jock With Two Moms (Who Are Now Separated) Plot to Break Up Their Parents' New Romance

Social Intercourse by Greg Howard

Beck: The Golden Girls-loving, out-and-proud choir nerd growing up in the “ass-crack of the Bible belt.”

Jax: The Golden Boy, star quarterback with a slick veneer facing uncomfortable truths about himself and his past.

When Beck’s emotionally fragile dad starts dating the recently single (and supposedly lesbian) mom of former bully, Jaxon Parker, Beck is not having it. Jax isn’t happy about the situation either, holding out hope that his moms will reunite and restore the only stable home he’s ever known. Putting aside past differences, the boys plot to derail the budding romance between their parents at their conservative hometown’s first-ever Rainbow Prom. Hearts will be broken, new romance will bloom, but nothing will go down the way Beck and Jax have planned.

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My Two Moms and Me - A Board Book I Wish Had Been Read To Me When I Was a Little Kid

My Two Moms and Me By Michael Joosten, Illustrated by Izak Zenou

“Families with same-sex parents are celebrated in this board book that follows busy moms and their kids throughout their day—eating breakfast, going on a playdate, heading to the pool for a swim, and settling back in at night with a bedtime story and a good-night lullaby. LGBTQ+ parents and their friends and families will welcome this inclusive and cheerful book that reflects their own lives and family makeup.”

A wonderful board book that's all about different two-mom families going through their day with a little one.

The illustrations by fashion illustrator Izak Zenou feel both modern and timeless.

Showing all these loving two mom families makes this a much-needed, and sure to be much-loved, book.

Add your review of “My Two Moms and Me” in comments!

My Two Dads and Me - A Board Book I Wish Had Been Read To Me When I Was a Little Kid (and I wish my husband and I had had to read to our daughter!)

My Two Dads and Me by Michael Joosten, Illustrated by Izak Zenou

“Families with same-sex parents are celebrated in this board book that follows busy dads and their kids throughout their day—eating breakfast, getting dressed, heading out to the park, and settling back in at night with a bubble bath and a good-night lullaby. LGBTQ+ parents and their friends and families will welcome this inclusive and cheerful book that reflects their own lives and family makeup.”

I love this book - the decision to not follow just one family with two dads but to make each page turn feature a new family with a different child who has two dads was spot-on.

Helping—as much as a single board book can—fill the nearly empty shelf where board books for families like mine can find themselves.

And the illustrations, by fashion illustrator Izak, are beautifully rendered, giving the book a timeless quality that will keep it a go-to for years and years to come.

Bravo, Michael and Izak!

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La Bastarda - An orphaned teen in Equatorial Guinea tries to find her father with the help of her gay uncle and a gang of "mysterious" girls

La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono, translated by Lawrence Schimel

The first novel by an Equatorial Guinean woman to be translated into English, La Bastarda is the story of the orphaned teen Okomo, who lives under the watchful eye of her grandmother and dreams of finding her father. Forbidden from seeking him out, she enlists the help of other village outcasts: her gay uncle and a gang of "mysterious" girls reveling in their so-called indecency. Drawn into their illicit trysts, Okomo finds herself falling in love with their leader and rebelling against the rigid norms of Fang culture.

Learn more about this translation in this article by the translator here.

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Ashes to Asheville - Sisters mourn the loss of one of their two moms, and an impulsive road trip helps them rediscover the bonds that make them Family

Ashes to Asheville by Sarah Dooley

After Mama Lacy’s death, Fella (age 12) was forced to move in with her grandmother, Mrs. Madison. The move brought Fella all sorts of comforts she wasn't used to at home, but it also meant saying goodbye to her sister Zoey (a.k.a. Zany, age 16) and her other mother, Mama Shannon. Though Mama Shannon fought hard to keep Fella, it was no use. The marriage act is still a few years away and the courts thought Fella would be better off with a blood relation. Already heartbroken, Fella soon finds herself alone in Mrs. Madison's house, grieving both the death of her mother and the loss of her entire family.

Then one night, Zany shows up at Mrs. Madison’s house determined to fulfill Mama Lacy’s dying wish: to have her ashes spread over the lawn of the last place they were all happy as a family. Of course, this means stealing Mama Lacy’s ashes and driving hundreds of miles in the middle of night to Asheville, North Carolina. Their adventure takes one disastrous turn after another, but their impulsive journey helps them rediscover the bonds that truly make them sisters.

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Harriet Gets Carried Away - A Sweet Picture Book About a Girl with a Terrific Imagination... and Two Dads, That I Wish Had Been Read To Me When I Was a Little Kid

Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima

Sweet, whimsical, and not about having two dads, Harriet Gets Carried Away is lovely, and absolutely a book I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid!

Here are some images from the interior, so you can see how Harriet's dads are integrated into this very child-centered story.

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Hurray for Harriet (and her dads!)

Thanks, Jessie.

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Love, Penelope - a 10 year old girl with two moms writes letters to her on-the-way baby sister

Love, Penelope by Joanne Rocklin, Illustrated by Lucy Knisley

Penny is excited to welcome her new sibling, so throughout her mom's pregnancy she writes letters to it (not it, YOU ). She introduces herself (Penelope, but she prefers "Penny") and their moms (Sammy and Becky). She brags about their home city, Oakland, California (the weather, the Bay, and the Golden State Warriors) and shares the trials and tribulations of being a fifth-grader (which, luckily, YOU won't have to worry about for a long time).

Penny asks little questions about her sibling's development and starts to ask big questions about the world around her (like if and when her moms are ever going to get married "for real").

Add your review of "Love, Penelope" in comments!

Check out this article about a bookstore's response to censorship of a gay-themed book at a school book fair

The book: The Best Man
The author: Newbery Medalist Richard Peck
The bookstore: Avid Bookshop
The bookstore's owner: Janet Geddis

From Richard's article on the incident in Publishers Weekly, Hey, Hide that Book!

"After a book fair manager showed The Best Man to a student, the manager overheard a parent ask, “Is this what we’re teaching our children?” The head of the school then instructed that The Best Man be hidden—put in a box so that no child could accidentally find it.

But there is a supple strength in independent book stores, and Avid is a very independent book store. Its owner, Janet Geddis, made the well-timed decision to withdraw from the school’s book fair. Such a decision may not be unprecedented, but the act of packing up and leaving the book fair of a school that caves to the first complaining parent made enough noise on the net that the head of the school sent a letter to parents."

Read the full article here.

Cheers to Janet for the courage to do the right thing.
Cheers to Richard, for writing this middle grade book featuring a gay marriage, and letting us know about this censorship.
And, finally, cheers to the store selling 150 copies of "The Best Man" in the book's first week!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

The Best Man - a middle grade story about a boy who's best man at the wedding of his uncle and teacher. Oh, and it's a gay wedding!

The Best Man by Richard Peck

"Archer Magill has spent a lively five years of grade school with one eye out in search of grown-up role models. Three of the best are his grandpa, the great architect; his dad, the great vintage car customizer,; and his uncle Paul, who is just plain great. These are the three he wants to be. Along the way he finds a fourth—Mr. McLeod, a teacher. In fact, the first male teacher in the history of the school.

But now here comes middle school and puberty. Change. Archer wonders how much change has to happen before his voice does. He doesn’t see too far ahead, so every day or so a startling revelation breaks over him. Then a really big one when he’s the best man at the wedding of two of his role models."

Featured on lots of "Best Books of 2016" lists (including Kirkus, School Library Journal, and the New York Times), "The Best Man" also was a Boston Globe Horn Honor Book! 

Add your review of "The Best Man" in comments!

Six Impossible Things - A teen guy's life is falling apart (and his just-out gay dad is just one of the impossible reasons why)

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

1. Kiss Estelle.
2. Get a job.
3. Cheer my mother up.
4. Try not to be a complete nerd/loser.
5. Talk to my father when he calls.
6. Figure out how to be good.

Nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a whole heap of problems, including a reversal of family fortune, moving, new-school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and a massive crush on Estelle, the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

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Saving Montgomery Sole - A teen with two moms and a gay best friend confronts the mysterious parts of life

Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki

Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, forced to go to a school full of jocks and girls who don't even know what irony is. It would all be impossible if it weren't for her best friends, Thomas and Naoki. The three are also the only members of Jefferson High's Mystery Club, dedicated to exploring the weird and unexplained, from ESP and astrology to super powers and mysterious objects.

Then there's the Eye of Know, the possibly powerful crystal amulet Monty bought online. Will it help her predict the future or fight back against the ignorant jerks who make fun of Thomas for being gay or Monty for having two moms? Maybe the Eye is here just in time, because the newest resident of their small town is scarier than mothmen, poltergeists, or, you know, gym.

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The Tango Triptych - Paranormal Suspense with Dancing... And The Main Character Has a Gay Dad

Tango with a Twist by John Robert Mack

Ethan is a high school senior. He's also a world-champion dancer forced to move to tiny Dumass, TX where the only dance team thinks their dusty moves and lame studio are the s**t. The only good thing is Tango, the best dancer in town. And she’s hot! What Ethan doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one secretly after her.

Twist searches online for a way to make her fall for him. He doesn’t dance, so he’ll try anything: even a magic spell from the naked chick who promises to help him win Tango forever.

Stretches

Ever wonder what happens when the main character isn’t around? Stretches is a series of short stories that round out Tango with a Twist by delving more deeply into the private lives of all the other characters.

What happened to Ethan’s parents and how did Dad end up with Ethan for a son? What really happened to all Dad’s money? What dark secret is K-pop hiding? Why is Juicy always so annoyed with Boyfriend? Is there anything more to know about the linebacker named Gunner who led the assault on Ethan?

Most importantly, what happens to Twist after the end of Tango with a Twist? The truth will surprise you!

This collection of short stories is like a set of “special features” that takes you deeper into the world of Ethan Fox.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot

When an up and coming Austin Band wants the dance crew to perform for their music video, it’s a dream come true… until they realize it’s a retro swing band, and almost no one on the crew knows anything about swing.

Ethan Fox dances to the rescue so all his friends can experience their fifteen minutes of fame, in spite of the fact that he’s having horrible nightmares that just may be the product of Twist’s deranged imagination.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the lead singer, a rock star wannabe named Whiskey, who seems way too interested in Tango for Ethan’s taste.

The entire crew drives out to an abandoned summer camp to film a set of videos based on every slasher film every made. Can you say”Kill,  kill, kill. Die, die, die.”

When Twist finds out that his enemies are stuck out in the middle of nowhere, it’s an opportunity way too good to pass up.

Who lives? Who dies? How do you finish filming a music video if you’re dead?

Segues

Whisky Tango Foxtrot leaves several questions unanswered. Did Tango cheat on Fox Trot? Why can’t Corey stand to be around his dad since the events at the end of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? What happened with K-pop and his girlfriend Kiki? Will we ever get to see the killer ghost bunny again?

All these questions and more are answered in Segues, the second set of short stories in the Tango Triptych. Consider it the behind-the-scenes special features that makes No Tengo Tango that much cooler.

No Tengo Tango

No Tengo Tango is the final step in the Tango Triptych. Ethan is forced to face the reality of whether he believes in witchcraft or not and whether he believes that love transcends all obstacles.

The bodies start to fall on page one, and no one is safe. Supernatural investigator Morrison “Spook” James helps the crew survive an assault of epic proportions.

Who lives? Who dies?



Add your review of any of the books or short stories in the Tango Triptych in comments!

Trumpet - Colman, An Adopted Teen, Finds Out His Famous (And Now Deceased) Father's Gender Was More Complicated Than Colman Knew

Trumpet by Jackie Kay

The death of legendary jazz trumpeter Joss Moody exposes an extraordinary secret, one that enrages his adopted son, Colman, leading him to collude with a tabloid journalist. Besieged by the press, his widow Millie flees to a remote Scottish village, where she seeks solace in memories of their marriage. The reminiscences of those who knew Joss Moody render a moving portrait of a shared life founded on an intricate lie, one that preserved a rare, unconditional love.

This book was recommended for teens by the Scottish Book Trust, which is how I found out about it. Add your review of "Trumpet" in comments.

Felix Yz - a gay 13-year old boy is fused with an alien, and the countdown to separate them is on

Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker

"If it wasn't for the fused-with-Zyx thing, I suppose I would just be normal--whatever that means."

When Felix Yz was three years old, a hyperintelligent fourth-dimensional being became fused inside him after one of his father's science experiments went terribly wrong. The creature is friendly, but Felix--now thirteen--won't be able to grow to adulthood while they're still melded together. So a risky Procedure is planned to separate them . . . but it may end up killing them both instead.

This book is Felix's secret blog, a chronicle of the days leading up to the Procedure. Some days it's business as usual--time with his close-knit family, run-ins with a bully at school, anxiety about his crush. But life becomes more out of the ordinary with the arrival of an Estonian chess Grandmaster, the revelation of family secrets, and a train-hopping journey. When it all might be over in a few days, what matters most?

Add your review of "Felix Yz" in comments!

The Lotterys Plus One - Middle Grade fiction where 9 year old Sumac has four parents (two gay dads and two lesbian moms) and a problem grandfather

The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue, illustrated by Caroline Hadilaksono

Sumac Lottery is nine years old and the self-proclaimed "good girl" of her (VERY) large, (EXTREMELY) unruly family. And what a family the Lotterys are: four parents, children both adopted and biological, and a menagerie of pets, all living and learning together in a sprawling house called Camelottery. Then one day, the news breaks that one of their grandfathers is suffering from dementia and will be coming to live with them. And not just any grandfather; the long dormant "Grumps," who fell out with his son so long ago that he hasn't been part of any of their lives.

Suddenly, everything changes. Sumac has to give up her room to make the newcomer feel at home. She tries to be nice, but prickly Grumps clearly disapproves of how the Lotterys live: whole grains, strange vegetables, rescue pets, a multicultural household... He's worse than just tough to get along with -- Grumps has got to go.

But can Sumac help him find a home where he belongs?

While that sounds fun, I actually prefer the more open-about-the-queer-content synopsis on the back of the ARC,

Once upon a time, a man from Delhi and a man from Yukon fell in love, and so did a woman from Jamaica and a Mohawk woman. The two couples became best friends and had a baby together. When they won the lottery, they gave up their jobs and found a big old house where their family could learn and grow... and grow some more.

Now Sumac Lottery (age nine) is the fifth of seven kids, all named after trees. With their four parents and five pets they fit perfectly in the Toronto home they call Camelottery.

But the one thing in life that never changes... is that sooner or later things change.

All together it sounds great. Add your review of "The Lotterys Plus One" in comments!