Mixing religion and spirtuality is always tough, especially when it comes to a close-knit community or family. What I like about Eli's story is that he emphasizes the need for communal kindness.

I'm really enjoying this series of short reads by young activists for other young people. LGBTQ+ identity, awareness and community has changed a lot over the last few decades, and Adam Eli brings up the idea that, as it changes, young people have the ability and the responsibility to shape what they want it to look like in the future. He lists many ideas for what he values in the community and what he would like to see change in the future. We have a number of LGBTQ+ teens and their allies at my library, so this will definitely find an audience.

I think that teens feeling isolated and alone will see themselves in this book. The way in which Eli demonstrates links between the Jewish and Queer communities is really interesting. Not my favorite from the Pocket Change Collective, but a good resource, for sure.

Pocket Change Collective has a very simple mission: small, small books that bring awareness of big ideas--such as climate change, gender equity, activism, and improving our global communities-- for young adult readers.
Adam Eli has written a quick overview of his queer experience while highlighting the importance of creating a safe space for LGBTQIAA+ to be openly themselves. This is a wonderful overview for young adult readers who are first learning about the LGBTQIAA+ community, identity, and history. Eli provides small examples of how an individual can affect change through kindness and the recognition of our own privilege in order to uplift those around us. It is a very quick read (finished it in less than an hour) and provides resources for those interested in further reading.
Because this is a concise overview, there are some areas where I would have loved to hear more of Eli's experience and how they connect to the proposed principles of the new queer conscience. Additionally, Elis does recognize his privilege as a cis white gay man and it would be out of the scope of this book for him try to talk about the BIPOC perspective in anything other than the facts (in his examples of Black trans women who are murdered at far higher rates).
As mentioned, the LGBTGIAA+ community is not a monolith and one voice cannot begin to cover the experiences of all queer folks. This is definitely a good introduction for young people and a very optimistic view of the future for the LGBTQIAA+ community and the global community.

The Pocket Change Collective series is a great addition to the library.  Giving information to students while not being overwhelming!

This is a great, short, and easy read. I love the connections the author makes to his Jewish faith and tying that into his LGBTQ identity. I am always looking for books that combine those two subjects. This is a great book to hand to a teen or adult who is LGBTQIA+, an ally, or someone looking to learn more. This is also a quick read and great way to get teens interested in nonfiction which can often be a tough sell. I would recommend to all teen librarians to have in their collection.

I can see myself using excerpts from this book as a parallel to Night by Eli Wiesel with my 8th graders!

Copied from Goodreads: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was amazing and literally everyone needs to read it. I think what struck me most is that as a Jew, many of the teachings Eli brings up are ones that are so instilled in me that I forget they’re inherently Jewish and that not every major religious group places the same value on them. I think the connection he makes between the solidarity of the Jewish community and the queer community is a beautiful idea and one that I’m sure many folx would love to see come to fruition.

Short, sweet, and to the point. This is an incredibly affirming book for all queer people, and I sincerely hope that Gen Z feels like much of his points are already being done in their spaces. This is book is really intended for the queer community, I think, but I'd definitely recommend it to allies, too.

A quick, compelling read. I found there was a bit of a lack of really concrete ways to enact these changes and maybe a bit of disconnect from the fact that energy in the queer community isn't infinite so sometimes you will have to pick and choose which of these points to follow.

Also, what do we do with missing stairs in the queer community? How do you keep your community safe while uplifting it? There's a lot of good thoughts in here but it's all a little surface and just the beginning of a conversation.

3.5 ⭐️

This is good, but way too short to truly have any effect. It could be a good conversation starter for classes. I wish the publisher had put all four pmaphlets together in a single book, or made an anthology instead of something like this that will end up costing more to libraries than its worth, compared to other queer work.

I also don’t particularly enjoy the grouping the author does by adding “ally” to the acronym. Allies aren’t part of the queer community. They can help, support and amplify our voices, but they do not face our struggles and therefore shouldn’t be included in the acronym.

I picked up this book from the SLJ Live conference. I think have these short condensed topic driven books are great for young readers... and even adult readers who need an entry way to learning. Reading about people's personal experiences is a great way to wake up your brain to understanding others and throwing away fears and prejudices. This book is full of great perspectives on how the Queer community can band together and continue their work for equality and equity.  

Thank you Netgalley for an e=arc of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book! This is a nice little book that speaks to the experience of queer teens and gives them some tips for how to navigate a world that isn't really built for them. It has some good autobiographical details that help anchor it and make it feel like something a little more than just a self-help book. I think it can be a useful resource for queer teens, especially those who aren't sure how to embrace their queerness and who feel like they are completely alone in the world. It is a tad too upbeat and idealistic at times, but overall it is a worthwhile read for queer teens and their allies.

I loved this one.  Though its a short and quick read I think this is a wonderful book to give those in the LGBTQ community hope. I need more books like this one! Thank you netgalley for this e-arc

I thought this was a great and educational book! I consider myself an Ally and loved to get to read this and learn more about what I can do. I think this was a great book to educate Allies on how to act and how you can help be a better Ally. I would recommend this book to other Allies or people who want to educate themselves on this subject!!

If you need more information regarding queers in America, this is the perfect book! I almost highlighted every word as I was reading on my kindle. I’ll be picking up the rest in this collection and recommend it to everyone!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere. Queer people anywhere must fight for queer people everywhere. After all, wouldn't you want someone to fight for you?" -Adam Eli

EVERYONE should read this. 
This book brings up so many meaningful conversations that people often ignore. Eli does an extraordinary job tackling them and, most importantly, explains why we should strive to do better--even if we have already come a long way. He mentions ways we can help in or out of the closet by providing the reader with a list of organizations that need support. I loved how he opened the book by clarifying how many people have their own definition of being queer. Personally, the internalized homophobia that affected me for most of my life does not permit me to label myself as bisexual, or possibly lesbian, so I opted for queer. I was able to relate to his many stories about being in the closet, as many other people will. Eli's descriptions and explanations are an easy way for people who are not educated enough on the matter to understand these essential topics. By discussing the issues and providing a safe place for people in the LGBTQIA+ community, Eli is encouraging us to ask questions and learn more about each other to better ourselves. Eli's primary focus is for us to know that we are not alone and often go through similar situations. It's important to unite and fight for ourselves and those to come, just as the people before us did.