malorie's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I truly enjoyed this book. Coming out was not the primary focus of the story, though it ultimately is the point in the end. Instead, the book gives a great example of supportive parents, supportive friends who do not bat an eye when their imaginative play expands outside of social norms, and then easy and loving acceptance. I read it as a part of a challenge, but now I am going to purchase it for my nibling!
choirqueer's review
5.0
This is the story of a transgender girl who comes out to her cisgender guy friends and they all support her and everyone lives happily ever after.
Yeah, I bawled my eyes out. Everyone please immediately go and read this book with every child you know, and every adult you know, and just...everyone, read this book. Buy 90000 copies and give them to everyone you know, and everyone you don't know, and every library that exists. Go. Do it now. I'll wait.
Yeah, I bawled my eyes out. Everyone please immediately go and read this book with every child you know, and every adult you know, and just...everyone, read this book. Buy 90000 copies and give them to everyone you know, and everyone you don't know, and every library that exists. Go. Do it now. I'll wait.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review
5.0
Cute illustrations!! I love the kids imagining who their prince or princess characters are, all highlighting different kinds of strengths!
So this is about a trans girl named Jamie (with lesbian moms!) going to meet up with her friends and tell them she's a girl for the first time. All the friends describe the princes they're going to play, and they ask Jamie "What kind of prince are you going to be?" Jamie replies: "Uh, I'm going to be a princess". And then she refuses to be rescued, and tells them she's going to be a "princess of great daring". And then they decide one of the princes is gonna be rescued!
This sounds heavy-handed but it's really not! It's super sweet and cute! It's just a story of a bunch of kids playing, with the illustrations shifting back and forth from "real life" and illustrating the castle / dragon / etc fairy tale world they are imagining.
Jamie comes out to her friends at the every end, and there's a definite plug for positive and respectful behaviour with trans people, which feels a bit didactic, but honestly, it's so awesome that this book is introducing and teaching kids about how to act with trans peers that I don't care.
Also Jamie is a totally tomboyish girl, and is wearing a t-shirt and jeans the whole time! Of course, there's nothing wrong with girls wearing dresses and skirts, but having recently read a middle grade novel about a trans girl that focused on girly clothes as like the only means of feminine gender expression, it was very refreshing to see this!!
Check out Flamingo Press: http://www.flamingorampant.com/index.html!
So this is about a trans girl named Jamie (with lesbian moms!) going to meet up with her friends and tell them she's a girl for the first time. All the friends describe the princes they're going to play, and they ask Jamie "What kind of prince are you going to be?" Jamie replies: "Uh, I'm going to be a princess". And then she refuses to be rescued, and tells them she's going to be a "princess of great daring". And then they decide one of the princes is gonna be rescued!
This sounds heavy-handed but it's really not! It's super sweet and cute! It's just a story of a bunch of kids playing, with the illustrations shifting back and forth from "real life" and illustrating the castle / dragon / etc fairy tale world they are imagining.
Jamie comes out to her friends at the every end, and there's a definite plug for positive and respectful behaviour with trans people, which feels a bit didactic, but honestly, it's so awesome that this book is introducing and teaching kids about how to act with trans peers that I don't care.
Also Jamie is a totally tomboyish girl, and is wearing a t-shirt and jeans the whole time! Of course, there's nothing wrong with girls wearing dresses and skirts, but having recently read a middle grade novel about a trans girl that focused on girly clothes as like the only means of feminine gender expression, it was very refreshing to see this!!
Check out Flamingo Press: http://www.flamingorampant.com/index.html!
cweichel's review
5.0
This is a fabulous book with a trans character. I love that the book is mostly about friends playing together creating their own adventure. That Jamie is a now a girl is really an insignificant part of the story.
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