Ami Polonsky

I loved this. No, not this, Grayson. I loved Grayson. I loved who he was and who he wanted to be and how he made it happen. (I use the pronoun he because Grayson used it throughout the book.) I loved the teacher who cast Grayson in the lead female role in the play because Grayson was the best person who tried out. I loved Grayson's dead parents who knew five year old him loved wearing dresses and were going to support him being a girl as he said he was, and I loved his grandmother who saved show more his mother's letters so Grayson could read them.

This wasn't a one hundred percent feel-good book. There were tough times for Grayson, there were people who didn't understand him, people who didn't support him, and people who opposed him. The parts that really struck me were those who didn't understand, who thought he was gay or who thought he was a rebel for wearing a skirt or barrettes. I never realized how difficult that sort of benign misunderstanding could be.

(Provided by publisher) show less

This novel in verse if a 2025 Lone Star selection. In the current political climate of Texas, I need to have a caveat. This novel takes place in 1987, and it's about a young girl whose father dies of AIDS. There is absolutely nothing inapproriate about this novel; it's beautifully written and shows the strength of one small girl who has to fight the fear of people who refuse to learn facts and truth.

Iris doesn't tell anyone at school that her father is dying; she also doesn't tell that he's show more dying of AIDS. This reality is her entire life when she's not at school. She receives a daily poem from him, as they both love English and poetry while mom is a doctor who likes science more than art. Iris watches her dad struggle and is told it won't be long. That's the beginning of the novel. The rest of the novel is dealing with people along with dealing with losing her father. Iris tells the new kid at school because he seems different. She also tells out of frustration. When she gets a splinter and a wee bit of blood appears, her teacher shows only fear. Iris just wants to yell at the world that you don't AIDS like that. Repeatedly, people show their ignorance.

The beauty of the novel resides in the characters. Iris's mom cares for the dead as he is dying along with another doctor, Bob. Iris describes Bob as goofy--he's not good looking and amazing. He's a normal looking guy--probably was a geek--who cares. He dedicates himself to helping the gay community who have been sickened by the disease. Iris's dad's partner is JR. Iris really doesn't like him, but he quietly waits for her to come around. He becomes a rock to Iris, and she sees why her dad loved him. She joins him at the activist meetings, geting to know him better, and finds a place that calms the anger she feels all of the time. Even though everyone says that demonstrations are not a place for kids, Iris finds respite here.

I really enjoyed this novel. It's a beautiful novel about a difficult time in history. show less

While killing time at the mall, Clare finds a note tucked inside a purse on the sale rack. It's from Yuming, a girl who is being forced to work illegally at a factory north of Beijing. A family photo accompanies the note. Clare and her parents immediately report the note to the Chinese consulate, but Clare feels driven to do more -- perhaps because the girl in the photo reminds her of her adopted sister, who recently died. Meanwhile, at the factory, Yuming and a couple other children plan show more their escape, but there could be harsh consequences if they are caught. If they do escape, Yuming plans to search for her brother, her only remaining family member. But how, in a country of a billion and a half people, will she ever be able to find him?

This book does a lot of things well, particularly in dealing with grief, and in differentiating between the children at the factory (they are not monolithic "poor Chinese kids"). I also appreciate the way that the book is less about the white American girl saving the Chinese girl, especially since her efforts are portrayed as things a kid could realistically do, and more about the connection between the two girls that exists from the moment Clare finds the note. There's maybe a bit more coincidence at work than I completely bought, but all in all, an interesting read, great for starting discussions with kids about privilege and modern-day slavery. show less

I honestly don't know what to say about this book. It perfectly captured my school experiences growing up hiding who I was, but that's not a good thing. The book was incredibly painful to read. I really wish now that I hadn't finished it at work as I'll likely be crying for the rest of the day.