This is the perfect read for Pride Month! It's a queer middle grade about a boy who has (partially) come out as gay and decides to throw a Pride Festival in his small town. It's such a timely look at local government and book banning and homophobia; I think this is Stamper's best work yet.

This was such a great middle grade novel about a young gay boy living in a small rural town who tries to organize a Pride festival despite a great deal of homophobia in his town. Heartwarming and inspiring, this was a great book about finding the courage to be yourself and actively fighting against homophobia. Such a relatable and important read and great on audio! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!!

Thoughts and Themes: After having enjoyed two of Phil Stamper’s books when I saw this middle-grade book of his on Netgalley I knew I had to read it. I love that there are options for LGBTQ+ youth now because when I was in middle school I remember there were 3 books I read on repeat. I remember being in middle school and knowing something was different about me but not having the terminology or knowing girls could be queer, and books only had gay males in them.

I like that this book isn’t all happy for our main character regardless of the support that he does have from family and friends. I like that we see the reality of what it can be for someone to be queer in a small town. I also really like that we get a glimpse of how Jake’s online world is 100% accepting in the way he had hoped it would be. I think it was great to see that no where is 100% safe for LGBTQ+ people and how we navigate spaces that we might not be safe in.

Something else that I really enjoyed about this book was the talk that Brett has with Jake about anxiety. I love how he brings up reading books to figure out his sexuality and how much that helped him. I really liked how they talk about Brett going to therapy to help with his anxiety and how it just is a regular conversation between two friends.

Characters: In this book, you meet several characters through their interactions with our main character, Jake. You get to meet his parents, his best friend, and the guy he is crushing on, Brett. I really enjoyed all of the characters you get to meet throughout this book and Jake’s relationships with everyone.

I loved the relationship between Brett and Jake and how innocent their relationship is. I also really enjoyed how Jake just accepts that Brett isn’t out and understands what being out could mean for him. I like that he just takes Brett’s lead and while it does confuse him at times he does listen to others.

I also liked how Jake has many supportive people in his life, like his best friend and his parents. I loved seeing how supportive Jake’s parents are and I liked that Jake felt comfortable enough to tell his dad that he outed him before he was ready.

Writing Style: This book is told in the first person through the perspective of our main character, Jake. I really enjoyed getting the chance to read this story from his perspective because the main character read his age. I liked getting to be in Jake’s head and see how he feels about everything. I also thought it was great to see how the reaction to having a crush and what it is like to be his age and be out.

This book was absolutely lovely and a wholesome read for a younger queer audience. It made me smile and laugh so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t know what it is about LGBT+ middle grade books lately, but I am just obsessed with them. I’m thinking YA feels too weird to read because I’m not THAT far removed, but middle grade is just the right balance.

These books lately have just been giving me all the feels. I just love these characters, and I love the messages these books send.

I’m grateful that these book exist now for any kid growing up who doesn’t feel like they are seen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this middle grade novel. As someone who grew up not far from the town the author did and am also queer, I found the story very relatable. It was a sweet story.

“Sometimes it’s hard to be proud here… I don’t even think I know what ‘pride’ really feels like.”
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I cannot find the words to praise Small Town Pride enough. It perfectly summarized my experience growing up gay in a small-minded town. @stampepk made me feel seen, loved, and reminded me that there ARE supporters there. It wasn’t until college that I was able to live unapologetically as myself. And it wasn’t until recently that I let go of that fear with my students. I of course had symbols of pride in my classroom, but my lovely boyfriend helped me realize that I was still afraid to open up. Teachers are under attack right now for wanting our LGBTQ students to feel safe. Books like this are SO important for them to be reading. I implore all educators to buy this on May 31st. Your LGBTQ students deserve to be represented in the classroom.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Summary: Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard,  the mayor receives complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade. Except Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea. Why can’t they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? And what if he were the one to do it??

I read this because I loved The Gravity Of Us so so much (same author) and I didn’t love this one quite so much but it was still really good.

This was such a treat! I am so glad a middle grade story like this exists for young readers to see themselves in and to find hope in. Jake's story and journey is relatable and inspiring. I can't wait to share this with students.

This book follows Jake, a boy who comes out to his parents and kicks off a chain of events that rock his community. Jake has a great and supportive best friend, and the same can be said for his parents. He also develops a crush on the mayor's son, even as she opposes all his plans. With his friends and family, Jake sets out to throw his small town's first pride parade. This fight is a good one, and at times, its heartbreaking. There were a few genuinely sad moments were Jake and his friends are really confronted with the corruption of politics. Still, the hopeful moments outweigh the sad ones. Jake finds supporters everywhere, and even changes a few minds. This story should be required reading for tweens and maybe even adults who live in small, traditional towns. I can not wait to keep reading everything Phil Stamper writes.

i don't read a lot of middle grade but i saw this on Netgalley and had to request at least! this was a lot more emotional then i expected but still made for a sweet read.

small town pride is full of queer joy and i absolutely love it! i loved the main character and following his journey. the side characters were also well done do fun to read about. i liked how the overly supportive parents weren't seen as a bad thing but that Jake was able to communicate to them properly. i love this book's hopeful tone and beautiful message.

overall this is a well done middle grade book i'd reccomend to all ages!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Small Town Pride follows Jake who has just come out to his parents. He’s told some friends, but then Jake’s dad raises a rainbow flag in their yard and effectively outs him to the rest of the town. Jake’s parents are overly supportive (it was so nice to see such loving a supportive parents, even if they still get things wrong sometimes), so when Jake floats the idea of having a pride parade in their small town, they’re all over helping him.
I really loved this book. It was a wholesome and heartwarming story about a young gay boy that just wants to feel loved and accepted by the small town he lives in and loves. He’s shown that he has more supporters than he realizes in this story and I thought it was absolutely beautiful.
Overall, I highly recommend this one. It really touched my heart getting to follow Jake through the ups and downs of creating and organizing an LGBTQIA event in a small town. I will be recommending this one to many in the future.

This is an important middle grade that I wish had been around when I was younger, to see the normalisation of queer youngsters!

What a really cool story! This should be in every school. This story is full of hope, love, and redemption. It's exactly the type of book I wish I had available to me growing up. I really enjoyed how the author took very sensitive topics and made them easier to digest and understand. Perfect for middle grade readers. The MC, while often unsure of himself and his place in his town and surroundings was always pretty upbeat and positive and I believe that had to do with his parents being so loving and supportive. Even the tender friends to maybe more than friends topic was done very well. Lots of dialog about consent between the MC and his crush. Just a really sweet story. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook copy.

Small town pride is my first queer middle grade I've ever read and I'm absolutely in love with it! It's a book filled with hope and fierce joy, the meaning of pride, wonderfully complex characters and how it's fundamental fighting for one's right and the freedom of being oneself. Mixed with political scandals, homophobia and closeted people, but also new queer love, friendships and supportive family, this is the kind of book young and not young people should read and love.

Middle schooler Jake recently came out to his parents. His dad is a fan of grand gestures, so as I sign of love and support, he raised a large rainbow flag in front of their house. Jake suddenly realizes that now everyone will know that he's gay. Jake isn't quite sure what Pride means to him, but as his peers start to show support for him, he realizes he's not the only member of the LGBTQIA+ community in his village. Jake and his best friend, Jenna, and an unlikely partner, the mayor's son, Brett, begin to make plans for a Pride celebration in their small, rural village. Will the council (and the village) support a Pride celebration? Is Jake actually welcome in the place he calls home?

I thoroughly enjoyed this charming middle-grade book. It's a wonderful read for Pride month. It also shows just how important it is for allies to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We must continue to stand up for folks who are continually silenced. We must speak out against hate and bigotry.

Favorite quotes:
"If people can wear their hate so proudly on their sleeve, why can't I wear acceptance in the same way?"
"No one should feel like they don't belong in their own hometown."

A great middle grade story, about a young person looking for outlets and acceptance of LGBTQIA pride in his beloved small town. Ultimately, a very kind story.

This book belongs in every library. A moving and important story, young readers of all backgrounds and identities will benefit from the issues presented. Highly recommended!

Small Town Pride follows Jake who is his schools first openly gay kids. Jake's family and friends are super supportive but when it comes to the town not so much. One day Jake comes home from school to find that his dad has hung a large pride flag outside of their house. Many people in the town think that the flag will lead to crazy things like a pride parade. Jake doesn't think that is a bad thing and decides to throw one. There is just one problem: in order to throw a pride parade Jake has to get approval from the town council. And he knows the major will not be on his side but the mayor's son might be. Jake and his friends and family just want to show the town the pride is in fact worth celebrating.

Happy Pride Month!!! I was so excited to make this my first read of pride month. One because I love all of Phil Stamper's books ( I can't choose a favorite...lol). And two because this book was all about celebrating being yourself and showing that it is okay to express yourself. I love how Jake really came into his own in this novel and learned how to stand up for himself. And in the end Jake was able to get the town to be more accepting. This book showed that hate is not going to get you anywhere but love is. I do know that this book came out yesterday but I wanted to post my review today to celebrate Pride Month. Phil Stamper just makes me fall in love with all of his books. Thank you so much to Phil Stamper, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This was such a perfect way to kick off pride month. Highly suggest this book.

"small town pride" is one of the best lgbtq+ middle grade novels i've read -- authentic representation, a balanced mix of hope and fear, and realistic endings to real issues. i really enjoyed starting the story after jake, the main character, has already come out to his parents and his best friend: the story isn't about him coming out, but how he can be proud and confident in his town. the characters are strong, the writing is easy to fall into, and i loved stamper's discussion of how queer people shouldn't have to move to big cities to have a community that is proud of them and that they're proud to be a part of. "small town pride" shows that pride is created, not found, and you can make it anywhere.

Three cheers for queer middle grade stories! This was so sweet and a bit heartbreaking, yet hopeful. It's sad that kids have to worry about their family not accepting who they are and that makes it even more important that there are known safe spaces for them to go to. Small towns can difficult to be different and seeing the kids and adults come together in support of a pride parade made my heart happy.

The juxtaposition of Jake and Brett was interesting and a good way of showing some of the experiences LGBTQ+ kids have. One has accepting parents who maybe go too far to show their support and the other is terrified for his parents to find out in case he's punished or worse. Both boys deal with pressure from the town and I'm glad they had each other to lean on and help get through the tough times.

The ending is pretty cute and this was an enjoyable read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this story. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the copy.