NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

In this day and time when different is once again the target of hate and discord, this book of courageous youth is a blessing. The stories, poems and anecdotes are refreshing, warms the heart and some of them might trigger painful memories.

I am excited about the youth of tomorrow. Their unwillingness to conform to anyone else's view of them is life-changing and saving. Well done!

4 stars

The world needs more middle grade (and YA!) short story collections, and this is an action-packed anthology filled with well known writers and important topics. As is made obvious by the title, cover, and content, the running motif is LGBTQIA+, and there is quite a variety when it comes to the presentation of these characters and the events they experience.

Like the vast majority of anthologies, there are some stories that are standout stars and others that are good or really good. On the upside, for me, there aren't any obvious extras here, but I think everyone will have their favorites. Among mine are the installments from Ashley Herring Blake (a consistent five-star writer for me, so no surprise), Mark Oshiro (I loved this twist), Justina Ireland (I loved the structure of this piece), and A. J. Sass (who brings in one of the stronger character displays + context). I really enjoyed every piece in the collection, but these are the ones I think I'll remember the clearest (and will reference in my recommendations to students).

I am loving the recent influx of story collections in middle grade and YA. There is a wide audience for this one, and folks looking to expand their young readers' (or their own) repertoire in genre and motif need look no further. Recommended.

This book is amazing! I loved every one of the short stories in the collection. It included short graphic stories, poetry and prose. Each story told a different perspective and all together they provide an excellent diverse representation for students to read. I highly recommended this book for all middle grades students and can't wait to recommended it to my students.

A wonderful collection of short stories by amazing author’s. Each story is so unique to each author but they all blend so well together! Fantastic! Highly recommend!

This is a delightful collection of short stories celebrating the spectrum of gender identity and sexuality for middle grade students. I personally really loved how broad the genres of stories varied, with everything from contemporary real life, to historical fiction, to fantasy. There are even a couple of graphic short stories. I think that all kids could find a story that they enjoy in this collection.