A Bookshop.org Best of Kids Chapter Books of the Year Selection
A Junior Library Guild Selection
★ “Gordon’s middle-grade debut is gritty, messy, and honest, with complex, nuanced characters navigating a realistically complex world that includes abuse, drug use, and homophobia. Ash’s simple request at the end—’I want to live with people who actually care about me’—feels earned, and attainable . . . A finely drawn and cleanly written story that will give readers hope.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
★ “In her debut middle grade novel, Gordon touches on themes of gender identity and sexuality to deliver a strong message about the necessity of letting in people who will see and support one’s most authentic self. The inclusion of supportive adults who actively work to earn Ash’s trust, especially as she struggles between self-protection and vulnerability, populate this sensitive read.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Despite other characters’ fixation on her sexuality and gender expression, this is not a coming-out story, and Ash is refreshingly unconcerned with using labels to define herself. Ash’s voice is authentic and moving, and readers will root for her as she learns who to trust when she can no longer keep herself safe from Jordan’s increasingly threatening behavior . . . An affecting story of persistent trauma that leaves the door open for eventual healing.” —School Library Journal
“A tough book that doesn’t shy away from challenging families and scary nights, this debut novel allows Ash to grow not only in resilience but also her ability to rely on others once she allows her friends and teachers in. Hand to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Barbara Dee.” —Booklist
“Poignant, powerful, and brilliantly crafted. I couldn’t put this book down. This story is narrated authentically and respectfully . . . a true love letter to all kiddos searching for a place to call home. This much-needed book will stay with you long after you put it down.” —Ernesto Cisneros, winner of the Pura Belpré Award
“With humor and compassion, Gia Gordon explores the nuances of what it means to be a family, respectfully balancing between the realities of foster care and the universal desire to belong. My So-Called Family hits home.” —G. Neri, Printz and Coretta Scott King Award-winning writer
“A heart affirming, honest, and beautiful book. Gia Gordon has given us a story full of lyrical, exact, and tenacious prose, as we climb wise trees, cry, laugh, and find our voices alongside Ash. Ash and her spunky and brave group of friends teach us that found family, belonging, love, and joy can hold us close, even on our darkest days. I loved every page—a gorgeous rendering of what it means to find home in ourselves and others.” —Mariama J. Lockington, Stonewall Honor and Schneider Family Book Award winning author of In the Key of Us and Forever is Now
11/01/2024
Gr 5 Up—Ash has no one she can trust. In her first week of middle school she is relentlessly bullied because of her gender expression, and she knows she will find no comfort at home. Her foster placement with Gladys was tolerable before Gladys's adult son, Jordan, moved into their tiny home along with his girlfriend and their baby. Now Ash is constantly exhausted from handling the baby's nighttime care while the thin wall of their bedroom fails to hide the sounds of Jordan abusing his girlfriend. This is Ash's ninth foster home in eight years and she knows that it violates rules that are designed to protect her, but she heeds Gladys's warnings not to tell her caseworker, fearing that her next placement could be even worse. Despite other characters' fixation on her sexuality and gender expression, this is not a coming-out story, and Ash is refreshingly unconcerned with using labels to define herself. Ash's voice is authentic and moving, and readers will root for her as she learns who to trust when she can no longer keep herself safe from Jordan's increasingly threatening behavior. The ending is a little too convenient, but its hopeful note is a welcome end to a harrowing read. Ash's race is not specified. Additional characters are diverse and appropriate for the northern California setting. VERDICT An affecting story of persistent trauma that leaves the door open for eventual healing.—Amy Reimann
★ 2024-08-03
A tough kid earns a family.
Twelve-year-old Ashley Dalton, who prefers to be called Ash, has one refuge in the world: a walnut tree in the yard of her foster mother’s rental house, where she lives along with her foster mother’s volatile son, his girlfriend, and their baby, who shares a room with Ash. Middle school, where Ash gets bullied for being unfeminine in her clothing and appearance, is scary and threatening. And then, making things worse, her new social studies teacher assigns the class to draw family trees. Ash’s past is no one’s business but her own. Eventually, with the help of her friends Gentry Noble (a gentle boy who’s lost his own mother) and Joss Cruz (a supremely cool girl who’s also concealing family secrets)—along with adults who listen to Ash, appreciate her talents, and ask the students to consider what they don’t know—she finds the courage to confide in a teacher and her friends about the trouble she’s in. Gordon’s middle-grade debut is gritty, messy, and honest, with complex, nuanced characters navigating a realistically complex world that includes abuse, drug use, and homophobia. Ash’s simple request at the end—“I want to live with people who actually care about me”—feels earned, and attainable. Ash and Gentry read white, and Joss is cued Latine.
A finely drawn and cleanly written story that will give readers hope. (author’s note, resources)(Fiction. 10-14)
