Language: PG (18 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (all gender identities and sexualities represented in camp attendees, unrequited crushes, etc); Violence: PG (one camper was injured as a result of bullying)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Camp QUILTBAG is a queer-centered summer camp for middle-school aged youth. Our two protagonists, Kai and Abigail, find themselves at the camp for different reasons. Kai is a nonbinary, Jewish 13 yo, who was bullied, and subsequently injured, for requesting e/eir/em pronouns. Abigail is a 12 yo, Catholic lesbian who has been shunned from her group of girl friends because of her crush on her friend's mom. Kai and Abigail meet at the camp and bond over their different problems. They learn more about their identities and how to live a more authentic life at camp and in their everyday lives.
I think this was my first book with a central non-binary character. The neopronouns were something that I had to wrap my head around at first. This is a great introduction to different queer identities & sexualities and helping students understand how to support one another. The drama is a little juvenile, but it's on-par for what middle schoolers deal with - like unrequited crushes, friendship scheming, and social anxieties. I wish every student, queer or otherwise, could have a similar place of acceptance and growth. Diversity note: both main characters are white, but several other characters are a variety of races, religious identities, and queer identities.
Kiera, ELA Teacher
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1 comment:
"Neopronouns" is the word I didn't even know I needed. Thanks for that!
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