Kai Shappley

Joy Simmons is twelve years old, breathless with discovery. Having recently moved from Minnesota to Texas, Joy, her mom, and her older brother Will are just finding their feet in their new hometown of Appleton. Joy’s life changes forever when her best friend Max introduces her to cheer, a sport she instantly falls in love with. Together with Max’s friend Steph, the girls form the Sparkle Squad, a small social group dedicated to the love of cheer.

The Sparkle Squad soon progresses, and before long, Joy and her friends land themselves places on the school cheerleading team, working their way toward a first-game clash with Basswood, Appleton East’s biggest rival.

Being in cheer helps Joy to discover a new sense of belonging; she finally feels a welcome acceptance in her life, and everything appears to be falling into place. But Joy’s world falls apart the day she learns from Principal Davis that she is no longer allowed her place on the school’s cheerleading team. And to make matters worse, it seems that Appleton East’s community is starting to ask questions.

As Joy’s world is turned upside down, the would-be cheerleader is forced to choose between accepting her school’s decision and fighting for her right to cheer.

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As is all too often the case in this world, some of life’s most ill-conceived decisions stem from fear, a deep-set fear that grows from ignorance. Joy, to the World brings much-needed enlightenment on the prejudices and social turmoil faced by the transgender community. Through an engaging third-person narrative, first-time author Kai Shappley and seasoned writer Lisa Bunker create a skylight, a window through which readers observe the daily life of Joy, a transgender girl struggling to make sense of a seemingly impossible world. We feel a deep sense of empathy too, for each chapter ends with an often-emotional recount, as Joy’s deepest fears are poignantly conveyed through a series of diary entries chronicling her thoughts.

Although aimed primarily at an 8–10 years audience, bookworms of any age will find much to love about this inspiring new novel. With its refreshing approach to highlighting the troubles faced by marginalized communities, older readers too will appreciate the integrity and innocence of such reflective storytelling.

For those already familiar with co-author Kai Shappley’s personal journey, it may often prove difficult not to draw a parallel between the eponymous Joy Simmons and her young creator. Indeed, Kai herself does appear in the story, as does her real-life mom Kimberly, so it seems almost obligatory to assume that much of the protagonist’s anguish within the novel is drawn from the author’s own experiences.

Shappley’s first novel opens with a dedication, a prelude addressing every politician who has relentlessly sought to harm the lives of transgender children. In a single paragraph, the young author acknowledges the beautiful irony of how the authorities’ attempts to suppress and discredit gender dysphoria have merely resulted in empowering the transgender community—and its allies—through new-found knowledge and motivation.

Joy, to the World is a tale for the people—a tale for real people. It is a story for life’s winners, and a story for the losers. It is for those who laugh, and for the those who cry. Changing the deep-seated views of others takes time, and real cheerleading means helping the world to see differently. This book is for anybody wishing to do just that. Enjoy!

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If Kai Shappley did not exist, it would be entirely necessary to invent her. The world is far richer that way.

World, if things were right, no one would try to tell me that I’m not me . . . Please, see me, hear me. I’m right here, being who I am. I can’t show you or tell you any plainer. I am a girl. I am a girl. I am a girl.… (more)