Liv is starting middle school, and he is nervous. “A wonderfully sweet middle grade story with a satisfying ending. An accessible and relatable story for anyone who is struggling to fit in.”– Publisher’s Weekly Brief interludes by those in Zenobia's orbit add perspective. Though Zen is haunted by self-doubt and anxiety, she's bolstered by the kindness and acceptance of her friends and new family.
Bunker ( Felix Yz) brings considerable empathy and skill to her authentic, nuanced portrayal, balancing Zen's darker moments with humor. A boost of self-confidence comes when Zen, a talented hacker, uses her skills to help the school discover who is posting anti-Muslim and transphobic smears to the school website. But even with the support and love of her aunts, she wrestles daily with the person she sees in the mirror. Zen bonds with the middle school's band of ‘orphan misfits,’ which includes genderqueer Arli, Congolese immigrant Chantal, and new kid Elijah, who is eventually outed as trans. After her father died in what is being called a hunting accident (her mother passed away when she was small), she has moved from Arizona to Portland, Maine, to live with Aunts Phil and Lucy–a quirky couple with a diverse friend group, including the larger-than-life drag queen ‘Sprinkles.’ She's also starting school for the first time as a trans girl. “It's a year of big changes for Zenobia July. Energizing and compassionate.” – Kirkus Reviews Short chapters and the steady pace of external tension balance moments of rumination, grounding them in the ongoing action of Obie's experiences. A romance with Charlie, a cisgender biracial (Cuban/White) girl, is gentle and privacy-affirming. Vulnerable first-person narration explores Obie's internal conflict about standing up for himself and his desire to connect to his Korean heritage through his relationship with Halmoni, his paternal grandmother. Affirming adults–including his parents and grandparents, a new swim coach, and his favorite teacher–play significant supporting roles by offering encouragement without pressure, centering Obie's feelings, and validating Obie's right to set his own boundaries.
As he dives from the blocks into the challenging waters of seventh grade and swims toward his goal of qualifying for the Junior Olympics, Obie discovers belonging in his community and in himself.
Starting over after his abusive and discriminatory swim coach excluded him from the team, Obie Chang, a biracial (White/Korean) transgender boy worries about catching up to the other boys and proving that he is ‘man enough.' Although his family supports him, one of his best friends at school and the pool has turned into his biggest bully, and the other is drifting away toward the mean, popular girls. “An aspiring transgender Junior Olympian swimmer finds the strength and pride in his identity to race toward his dreams in this debut coming-of-age novel by groundbreaking trans athlete Bailar.
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