Gr 5 Up—Jake is the only openly gay kid in his tiny Ohio town. This doesn't bother him, until the Pride flag his father
hung up outside his house stirs up controversy, inspiring Jake to plan Barton Springs's first Pride festival. Stamper's
excellent novel about coming of age in a turbulent environment will engender important conversations around
queerness and community.

Jake is an openly-gay middle schooler. In support, his father mounted a gay pride flag in their yard but it has generated concern among some in their rural town, especially from the mayor. Jake comes up with the idea of having a pride festival, the town's first. His friends are on board, including cute Brett who also happens to be the mayor's son. The tone can get pedantic at times and there are moments where the kids' dialogue comes off as oddly adult-like. But in terms of queer positivity and youth engaging in activism, the book lands on both counts. ( )

I saw this book on display at my community bookstore and it appealed to me as someone who grew up “different” in a small town. It centers around Jake, who recently came out and who, as the story opens, is his school’s first openly gay student.

In a show of love and support for Jake, his father hangs a comically large Pride flag in their front yard. This leads to people expressing that the flag will lead to something “truly outlandish,” a Pride parade in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio.

Except that Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea and, with support from his friends and family (as well as from unexpected places), he decides to hold Barton Springs’ first-ever Pride celebration.

This was such a sweet-natured and uplifting book, and I appreciate it communicating important themes in a way that compliments the maturity of a middle-grade readership. Author Phil Stamper has done a really good job in navigating that balance.

I especially liked this quote, by an adult supporter of Jake:

“Essentially, you’ll learn that there are a lot of queer people out there. And when they don’t receive the support they need, at best? They leave and find a welcoming environment, and they still deal with this trauma their whole lives. At best.”

I featured that quote in a video that I recently posted to YouTube. Be warned, the majority of the video consists of me nattering about librarianship.

https://youtu.be/SYc01AT9GzI

A great middle grade story, about a young person looking for outlets and acceptance of LGBTQIA pride in his beloved small town. Ultimately, a very kind story. ( )