Joy, to the World
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- $229.00
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- $229.00
Descripción editorial
A young Dumplin’ meets Melissa in this joyful and energetic middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl living her life to the fullest, celebrating her love for sports and fighting for her right to cheer.
Joy, a twelve-year-old trans girl, just moved to Texas with her mother and older brother. Her family has accepted Joy as the girl she is early in her transition, with little fuss, leaving Joy to explore her love of sports, competition, teamwork, school spirit, and worship.
But when she is told she’s off the cheerleading team, Joy wants to fight for her right to cheer. As her battle with the school board picks up momentum, Joy attracts support from kids all around the country . . . she even gets the attention of her hero, trans activist Kai Shappley.
Inspired by Kai’s own life, Joy, to the World is a timely story of living life to the fullest, celebrating and centering trans joy, courage, and resilience.
When the world tells you no, how do you find the courage to shout yes?
Transgender Protagonist: Meet Joy, a twelve-year-old girl who knows exactly who she is. When her love for cheerleading is challenged, she discovers a strength she never knew she had.Friendship and Family: From her supportive mom and brother to her loyal best friend Max, Joy is surrounded by a team that helps her fight for what’s right.Standing Up for Yourself: When the school board says she can’t cheer, Joy refuses to back down. Follow her journey from the sidelines to the center of a national movement.Celebrating Trans Joy: Inspired by the real-life activism of her hero Kai Shappley, this is a story that centers hope, resilience, and the power of being yourself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Young transgender activist Shappley's hopeful debut, written in collaboration with Bunker (Zenobia July), offers a down-to-earth telling about a trans girl whose passion for cheer launches her life in an unexpected direction. After moving from Minnesota to Texas, where "cheer is like the official sport," 12-year-old Joy Simmons confides in her journal that becoming a flyer is "my destiny." Joy initially worries that her single mother will say no to cheer due to the family's stretched finances, but after her mom agrees, Joy's practice pays off: she makes the middle school team with her best friends. But everything comes crashing down when Joy is kicked off the team due to an exclusionary state law that says athletes must compete "on the team that aligns with their sex assigned at birth." Joy is subsequently required to use the nurse's bathroom and harassed at school. As the family navigates increasingly hostile school board meetings and Joy is inspired to speak publicly against an anti-trans bill being considered by the Texas Senate, they connect with unexpected allies. Interspersed with journal entries, Joy's plainspoken first-person perspective accessibly reports on the very real threats trans children face daily alongside the resilient character's faith and personal feelings. Protagonists are white. Ages 8–12. Agents: (for Shappley) Laura Thede and Alicia Beekman, DDO Artists Agency; (for Bunker) Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
