Skating on Mars

Reach for this book when your child is beginning to question the rigid labels of the world or feels like they don't quite fit into the binary boxes of sports and school. Mars, formerly known as Veronica, is a talented figure skater navigating the technicalities of a gendered sport while privately mourning the death of their father. It is a deeply empathetic look at the courage it takes to be oneself when the rules haven't caught up to your reality. This story is perfect for middle-grade readers (ages 8-12) because it balances the heavy themes of grief and identity with the universal middle school experiences of friendship, competition, and finding one's voice. Parents will appreciate how it models supportive adult-child relationships and advocates for structural change rather than just individual resilience.