Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (mild self harm - Shai picks at her arms, and she witnesses vandalism against her grandparent's synagogue)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
13yo Shai is looking for a new normal. She has been home schooled, and is great at research. She has decided that she wants to try public school. But she's full of worries - she's come out to her family and best friend, but how and when will she let people at school know she is gender fluid and pan sexual? Her Language Arts teacher has assigned a term-long research project, and Shai, who has not been raised religious, chooses to learn about her grandparent's religion, they are Jewish, and visit them over the high holidays, which causes some drama with her single mom.
Shai is a smart kid, but feels like she needs to solve all her own problems without asking for help. Her anxiety has caused her to pick at her arms which causes sores that she keeps covered. Even her mom doesn't know. Shai explains to the reader how it feels when people don't use her preferred name or pronouns, one of her friends is a lesbian who hasn't yet come out to her parents, another friend has 2 dads and one of the boys she lives with uses "gay" to mean something is stupid. I'm not sure why the publisher recommends Just Shy of Ordinary for 8-12 year olds. It's a clean read with no violence, but it's still High School, homecoming, who to ask to the dance and the social and academic community of 9th grade. Shai is Jewish, her best friend Mille is indigenous Canadian, other characters are culturally diverse.
Lisa Librarian
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