My Thoughts:

I loved this coming-of-age story of a transgender teen exploring his identity, friendship, family, and being true to oneself. This story is charming, moving, and timely. The author creates characters with depth and intersectionality that teens and adults will appreciate and cheer on. Felix is an insightful, self-aware character, open to possibilities regarding gender and self-expression. Even as he struggles with defining himself, navigates difficult and awkward parental relationship, and figures out how to respond to a transphobic bully, Felix stands strong and shines. This book is honest and unflinching in its search for truth and its celebration of LGBTQIA+ people. It is most appropriate for older teens.

Programming ideas:

Felix is an artist and attends a school for high school for the arts. He begins creating a series of painted self-portraits through which he explores different elements of himself in the colors, textures, and styles he uses. Other students at the school use photography, collage, and other art forms to share their ideas and inspiration. I think it would be fun to use art to encourage self-expression and reflection in conjunction with reading this book. Participants could make collages from magazine pages and words to reflect their identities or images. They could paint or draw self-portraits or use a pixel art program to do the same. This could also be a collaborative effort with a school art teacher. If students were okay with it, their creations could be displayed in the library or school hallways.