2023-10-21
Four Black eighth graders order limited-edition enamel pins featuring fantasy characters Princess P and Swanson T Swan—and unknowingly get superpowers, too.
Angela, Skylar, Travis, and Sophie, kids from different parts of the same city in Florida, are thrown together after an explosion literally rocks their world. They’re each wrestling with different concerns: Angela is worried about her dad and his fiancee, who work at local theme park FUNTASTIC PLAINS. Angela’s friend Skylar, who uses they/them pronouns, has been shouldering a lot of responsibilities since their dad lost his job. Travis is holding on to a secret crush as well as hiding from his grandfather the fact that he’s thinking of giving up track for video game design. And Sophie is no longer keeping quiet about wanting a life of her own, not one where she shares every experience with her twin sister. The middle schoolers, whose superpowers ultimately align with what they need to become their most authentic selves, pursue the mystery of where the pins came from and how they’re tied to the theme park’s expansion. Lawrence creates a community in which the characters are, for the most part, supported in who they want to be, and queer kids and their families thrive. Although the action moves at a steady pace, the awkward, stilted dialogue interrupts the flow of the story. Spot art and occasional full-page illustrations show characters with a range of body types and skin tones.
A fun, inclusive adventure. (Fantasy. 10-13)
