Zenobia July

March 15, 2019
A young trans girl solves a mystery and finds her people.Zenobia July hasn't had an easy go of it: Her mom died when she was little, and her religious, conservative dad has just died in what might be a hunting accident but was probably suicide. She's shipped off to Portland, Maine, into the loving arms of her aunts Phil and Lu, an eccentric but competent hippie/academic lesbian couple. Zenobia makes friends with a gang of misfits fairly easily, but she still doesn't want anyone to know that she's trans (even after new friend Elijah is outed and her main confidant, Arli, genderqueer with vo/ven/veir pronouns, cringingly tries to convince Zenobia to be a better ally). Zenobia's hacker skills come in handy when a mysterious troll posts transphobic and anti-Muslim memes to the school's website, and her new friendships are put to various tests. Zenobia is an endearing white trans girl heroine, with an accessible amount of angst and anxiety that never tips over into titillating tragedy. Her community of weirdos and queers (including her aunts' drag-queen friend Sprink) offers desperately needed representation. Hijab-wearing Congolese immigrant Dyna and Asian Elijah provide some racial diversity, though the default is white.A fun read that manages to feel solidly traditional while breaking new ground (Fiction. 8-13)

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April 1, 2019
It’s a year of big changes for Zenobia July. After her father died in what is being called a hunting accident (her mother passed away when she was small), she has moved from Arizona to Portland, Maine, to live with Aunts Phil and Lucy—a quirky couple with a diverse friend group, including the larger-than-life drag queen “Sprinkles.” She’s also starting school for the first time as a trans girl. Zen bonds with the middle school’s band of “orphan misfits,” which includes genderqueer Arli, Congolese immigrant Chantal, and new kid Elijah, who is eventually outed as trans. But even with the support and love of her aunts, she wrestles daily with the person she sees in the mirror. A boost of self-confidence comes when Zen, a talented hacker, uses her skills to help the school discover who is posting anti-Muslim and transphobic smears to the school website. Bunker (Felix Yz) brings considerable empathy and skill to her authentic, nuanced portrayal, balancing Zen’s darker moments with humor. Though Zen is haunted by self-doubt and anxiety, she’s bolstered by the kindness and acceptance of her friends and new family. Brief interludes by those in Zenobia’s orbit add perspective. An accessible and relatable story for anyone who is struggling to fit in. Ages 10–up.

April 15, 2019
Grades 5-8 Zenobia July isn't having the easiest time fitting in at her new school. Her mother and father are dead, and she is finally able to live her truth, even though she still has a hard time looking at herself in the mirror without seeing "boy" all over her face. She now lives with her aunts Phil and Lucy. During the first few weeks of school, Zen is befriended by Arli?a gender nonconforming young person?and an evangelical Christian girl, Melissa. After a series of anti-Muslim and transphobic memes appear on the school website, Zen and her new friends need some serious introspection about their own personal biases. Some stilted dialogue in the form of text exchanges, and over-the-top tech-speak overshadow what could be a nuanced and slightly less didactic exploration of gender and sexuality, which is at the core of Zen's personal story. Aside from these issues, Bunker's #OwnVoices follow-up to Felix Yz (2017) will be sure to intrigue and entertain young readers from all walks of life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)