
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing that being different can sometimes feel like a political statement rather than just a personal identity. It is an ideal choice for middle schoolers who are beginning to navigate their community's social dynamics and want to see how one person's courage can spark positive change. The story follows Jake, the first openly gay kid in his small Ohio town, who decides to organize a Pride festival after a neighborhood dispute over his family's pride flag. Through Jake's journey, the book explores themes of self-confidence, the importance of family support, and the complexities of small-town politics. It is a secular, hopeful, and age-appropriate story for the 8 to 12 range that validates the experience of standing out while offering a roadmap for advocacy and community building. Parents will appreciate the way it models healthy family communication and resilience in the face of soft-spoken prejudice.
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Sign in to write a reviewSweet, age-appropriate middle-grade crushes and a few instances of hand-holding.
The mayor's son has conflicting loyalties between his mother and Jake.
The book deals with identity and social exclusion. The approach is direct and secular. While there isn't extreme bullying, there is a constant 'low hum' of exclusion and administrative resistance. The resolution is realistic and hopeful, showing progress rather than a perfect overnight transformation.
An 11-year-old who feels like an outlier in their community and is looking for a way to turn their 'difference' into a source of leadership and pride.
Read cold. Parents might want to discuss the scene where the mayor tries to use town ordinances to silence Jake's family to explain how local government works. A child coming home and saying, 'People are saying I don't belong here,' or expressing frustration that adults in power are making unfair rules.
Younger readers will focus on the 'uncool' mayor and the fun of the parade; older readers will pick up on the nuance of Brett's conflicted loyalty and the subtle ways prejudice manifests.
Unlike many LGBTQ+ stories that focus on the 'coming out' trauma, this book starts with an already out protagonist and focuses on the intersection of identity and civic engagement.
Jake is an eighth-grader living in Barton Springs, Ohio, where he is the only out gay student at his school. Life is relatively quiet until his well-meaning father hangs a massive pride flag in their yard, triggering a wave of complaints and a showdown with the town's conservative mayor. Jake decides to channel the controversy into something positive: organizing the town's first Pride festival. Along the way, he navigates evolving friendships and a complicated crush on the mayor's son, Brett, while learning how to advocate for himself in a space that isn't always welcoming.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.