I just finished reading this amazing early chapter book by Jay Albee. Jay Albee is actually a joint pen name for a team of author and illustrators, Jen Breach and J. Anthony. The book I read was Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day, and is one of at least four books in the series. The story centres around Riley, a nonbinary 4th grader, and their friends/classmates as they prepare for a costume party at school. While the story features several diverse and LGBTQ+ characters it is really a story for kids about a kid being a kid. As a teacher, I know how badly my colleagues and I just want diverse stories that are not about being diverse, ie. overcoming gender stereotypes, dealing with the emotion of transitioning, etc. We know how important those books are too, but we really just want a bunch of books that feature diverse characters and give students an opportunity to see themselves represented in the books they are reading.
This book is divided into 7 chapters and each chapter has a graphic novel style set of pictures at the end. The book ends with discussion questions, writing prompts and information about the creators and starts with a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms. I think this book (and series) offers a great opportunity for young readers to learn about LGBTQ+ people and enjoy a short chapter book at the same time. I look forward to purchasing this series for my Grade 3 classroom in the future!
I am so appreciative of Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book! I can't wait to share my opinions with my teaching partners and colleagues! I know they will also want to get their hands on these books for their students too.
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