Gr 5 Up—When the parent of a fifth grader picks up his assigned reading and objects to one sentence, the students
find themselves in a philosophical quagmire as the book challenge makes its way to the school board. A timely book
that should not only be in every library but also is a true joy to read.

A fifth-grader named Donovan finds his small town divided when his mother starts a book challenge about an assigned title that she considers “inappropriate” for elementary and middle schoolers because of one sentence that is vague enough to be interpreted that the two protagonists are gay. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Gideon meets new boy in class Roberto and develops an instant bond when they are paired together for an assignment around their class’s reading of Harriet the Spy. And, interstitial chapters include excerpts of the adventure novel Donovan’s classmates should be reading if it weren’t halted due to the book challenge.

This book is timely and relevant, and presented in an interesting fashion with the three concurrent stories. I don’t think the book-within-the-book chapters were strictly necessary, but they were certainly fun and I can see them appealing to those readers (especially young ones) who need/want more of a page turner. I think that including the context of a book that is being challenged because of a solitary sentence is helpful for younger readers to understand and to allow them to draw their own conclusions.

At first, I thought Gideon was in the same class as Donovan and then when I realized he wasn’t, I was momentarily perplexed how his story was going to come into play. When Donovan’s classmates noted that the author of their challenged book uses a pen name, I immediately guessed that either Gideon or Roberto was the author and that their story was happening in the past. (Spoiler: It turns out that Roberto is the author and, in a twist I didn’t expect, that their teacher who assigned the book is Gideon.) It was interesting to read along and see if I was correct, and to notice how deftly David Levithan made the Gideon/Roberto story historically accurate to a childhood playing out a couple of decades ago without making it seem obviously outdated.

However, and not to sound too much like the book-challenging naysayers, I did find the Gideon and Roberto storyline a little mature. I appreciated the early parts, especially as Gideon is slowly coming to terms with the concept that he has a crush for the first time and the thrills he gets when Roberto touches his arm or draws him pictures that include hearts. But when it got to the Valentine’s Day portion and again later in the last chapter of their story when the boys are kissing and laying in bed together? That seemed like a bit much, especially considering not only are the characters only 12 years old, but that children tend to read up to the characters’ ages not down (e.g., an 8-year-old might pick up this book but a 14-year-old probably won’t). It’s not explicit or anything, but it is just a little mature for the intended audience.

That being said, I really appreciated how the community came together to support LGBT characters and literature, and how the majority of book banners were not necessarily horrible people (although some were) but instead concerned parents trying to come to grips with their own fears and biases. This latter group also showed the ability to change and grow, as evidenced by Donovan’s mother after she finally listens to him and his counterarguments about why the book is in fact appropriate for himself and his classmates. The book definitely ends on positive notes of hope, which I think we need now more than ever as we are seeing book challenges and bans rise across the country. ( )

If I could give this book 10 stars, it wouldn’t be enough. IMHO, those who are choosing to ban books due to their content NEED to read this book. These are the people who are uncomfortable with having uncomfortable conversations and whose interpretations are a little misguided.

I loved the fact that it was a class of fifth graders who understood the world they are growing up in much more than their own parents and that they defended the teacher’s choice in the novel. That they understood that the decision that Donovan’s mother made was based upon her own interpretation, as misguided as it was.

Like the author says in the book, the books we have nowadays are written for kids/teens of today’s age, not when their parents were 12/13/14 etc. The author nailed it on the head when one of the character’s Curtis says “If you want to know what kids really need, then you should talk to us. So now I’m telling you what we need: more books, not fewer books. More love, not less love.” Thank you for writing this book Mr. Levithan. I look forward to ordering many copies for my MS library. ( )

A wonderful contribution to the growing Middle Grade LGBTQIA+ genre. I loved the unique format of this book, from three viewpoints - that of Donovan and his schoolmates, Gideon White and Roberto Garcia, and that of The Adventurers novel with Rick and Oliver. ( )

This sweet and solid middle grades novel tells three interconnected stories: one story about Donavan, whose mother is challenging a book assigned by his beloved 5th grade teacher; chapters from the challenged book; and a story that follows two 5th grade boys as they fall in love with each other. Donavan's story, which is contemporary, feels central. A mature 5th grader, he must find his voice to support his teacher and help his mother shift her perspective. Some readers will understand early on the connection between the two "real life" stories, but the specific way the two fit together isn't revealed until the very end. This revelation highlights one of Levithan's specialties: that twist that is both perfect and perfectly human. This isn't magic, it's everyday life, and characters will grow and change and - because it's Levithan's world - will try to become better versions of themselves. He is a master of books that are kind but not precious, deeply thoughtful without being preachy, and always, always generous in their belief in the possibility of goodness and community. I especially loved the character names that celebrate the beautiful history of the genre I started calling "YA Gay" after being delighted by Boy Meets Boy 20 years ago. ( )