This is the second book I've read by Alex Gino after asking on Twitter for books that would support the LGBTQ+ community. I really enjoy Gino's stories, they are filled with interesting characters and deal with the uncertainty that can plague many students before high school. One of the things I like about these books is the fact that they are written at an appropriate level for students in grade 6 and up, the situation the kids find themselves in seem very believable and relevant to the lives of students today.
Like George in the first book, Rick is questioning who he is and who he might be when he gets older. His best friend and father often talk about girls and question Rick about which girls he likes. The only problem is, Rick doesn't look at girls that way. He also doesn't look at boys that way. At this point, Rick does not feel romantically interested in either sex.
When starting at a new middle school (grade 6-8), there is a Rainbow Spectrum club that interests him, but he is worried. Rick is not only worried about what he will find inside the club, but he is also worried about what his best friend Jeff will say. Rick has started to realize that although Jeff is a great kid to hang around with when it is just the two of them, when Jeff is with other kids, he can be quite mean. This book is really an exploration of how Rick deals with growing up and being uncertain about things.
I am really enjoying these stories, one of the things I loved about this book was that the Rainbow Spectrum Club decides to raise money to purchase books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and issues. This is something that I am also trying to do. I wish at the end there was a list of more books like this one!
No comments:
Post a Comment