Beautiful Music for Ugly Children

This award-winning young adult novel introduces Gabe, a transgender high school student who was assigned female at birth but has always known he is a boy. Through his passion for music and his late-night radio show, "Beautiful Music for Ugly Children," Gabe begins to publicly embrace his identity. The story sensitively explores the challenges Gabe faces, including navigating his parents' initial confusion and disapproval, confronting bullying from classmates, and building supportive friendships. It's a poignant and empowering narrative about self-acceptance, resilience, and finding your voice, offering a valuable look into the experiences of transgender youth.

"This is Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, on community radio 90.3, KZUK. I’m Gabe. Welcome to my show." My birth name is Elizabeth, but I’m a guy. Gabe. My parents think I’ve gone crazy and the rest of the world is happy to agree with them, but I know I’m right. I’ve been a boy my whole life. When you think about it, I’m like a record. Elizabeth is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side―not heard as often, but just as good. It’s time to let my B side play. Winner of the 2014 Stonewall Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature.