Linus and Etta Could Use a Win

February 12, 2024
Following a move from New York, Linus is thrilled that he can start eighth grade in Ohio without having to come out as transgender (“I’m ready to just be a boy”), though he still struggles with his grandmother constantly misgendering him. Meanwhile Etta, reeling from a sudden friendship break up with popular Marigold, copes by “turning into a block of ice” and dreams about starting over at an alternative high school. A hallway collision leads to the pair becoming fast friends, with Etta’s defensive prickliness no match for Linus’s punny “golden retriever” personality. When Marigold asserts that Etta can’t get Linus elected as student council president, Etta takes the bet despite her fears that it will derail her and Linus’s blossoming friendship. Via alternating perspectives rendered in distinctive voices, Huntoon (Skating on Mars) thoughtfully cultivates subplots that expand upon the characters’ rich interiority: Etta worries that her unapproachable “anti-everything” persona is an excuse for loneliness, while Linus grapples with his anger when his parents won’t correct his grandmother’s insensitive use of his deadname and incorrect pronouns, making for a zippy and heartfelt tale of friendship and connection. Main characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jessica Mileo, Inkwell Management.

April 1, 2024
Grades 4-7 Linus, a recently out trans boy, is adjusting to a new middle school, having moved from New York to Ohio to be closer to a grandmother, who, at the outset, consistently misgenders him. While hoping to simply be lost in the crowd, Linus instead gets caught up in a bet between his new best friend, Etta, and her ex-BFF, Marigold. In short, Etta must get Linus elected as president of the student body, and Linus isn't thrilled about the prospect. Told in alternating chapters with first-person points of view from both Linus and Etta, this bright and energetic read should prove attractive to reluctant readers. Though parts of this plot may feel familiar, Linus and Etta's relationship is accompanied by plenty of drama from Marigold and thoughtful examinations of what friendship truly means. Huntoon caught readers' attention with their debut, Skating on Mars (2023), and they deliver another appealing middle-school story that features exceptional trans representation.

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April 1, 2024
A story about taking accountability for mistakes and showing up for loved ones, oneself included. After coming out as transgender and surviving a family move to Ohio, Linus is looking forward to an eighth grade year spent out of the spotlight. He soon meets classmates Etta and Marigold, former best friends who are fighting over who will (or won't) apply to Nova, a prestigious alternative high school. Etta's long thought of Nova as her thing, and she's upset that Marigold (who's "got everything") is now planning to apply as well. New kid Linus becomes the unknowing target of a bet: If he's elected student council president, Marigold won't apply to Nova after all. Linus doesn't have any knowledge of or interest in any of this, but with encouragement from Etta and his crush, Marigold, he finds himself pulled along. The quickly paced, first-person chapters alternate between Linus' and Etta's perspectives, showcasing the authentic friendship that blossoms between the two and the guilt that builds as Etta's plan (still unknown to Linus) unfolds--and is ultimately revealed. On top of that, Linus is learning to stand up for himself with his grandmother (who can't seem to get his pronouns right) and his parents (who can't seem to stick up for him). The characters' sweet demeanors, lively dialogue, and ever-changing relationships will keep readers rooting for them until the book's final pages. Central characters are cued white. A tender story about moving through hurt and embracing uncertainty. (Fiction. 9-14)

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May 10, 2024

Gr 6 Up-Linus, who recently came out as trans, hopes to quietly start his school year at a new middle school. However, a chance collision with fellow eighth grader Etta on the way to his first class makes that unlikely. Etta, still reeling from the sudden ghosting by her best friend, Marigold, is looking for answers to explain her friend's sudden distance. When a student council interest meeting sparks an intense conversation between the two ex-best friends, Marigold bets Etta she can get anyone elected president of the student council-including Linus. What starts as a challenge quickly becomes exactly what Linus and Etta both need: a supportive friendship. Told through a two-voice structure, Linus and Etta's characters are carefully drawn and complex, with room for growth for each character. The story, patterned loosely after George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, moves briskly between the two character's tellings, with moments of humor, as well as important school and family interactions. VERDICT The message of trans acceptance is front and center in this realistic fiction title; Huntoon creates meaningful and authentic conversations around topics important to trans youth and allies, while also maintaining a lighter tone that is more accessible for the middle school reader. Recommended.-Louie Lauer

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