Jumpstart the World

October 18, 2010
Just before Elle's 16th birthday, her mother dumps her in her own New York City apartment (her stepfather " want a teenager around"). Alone, except for a one-eyed cat who mostly hides, she is grateful for neighbors Frank and Molly, whom she grows close to. Elle develops a crush on kind and wise Frank, but when she learns he is transgender, she wonders what this means about her own identity. Readers will be moved by Elle's thoughtful and honest narration, which genuinely reads like someone sorting through a complex situation—and her complicated emotions (when Frank offers help with her sick cat, she thinks, "It's not that I didn't appreciate his help. And it's not like I was judging him for his life choices. It's more like... If I could just have more time to swallow things"). While some plotting seems clichéd, such as Elle's decision to become a photographer so she can "remind the world to be what it knows it should be," even these familiar turns underscore the author's message about a universal need for love and acceptance. Ages 14–up.

November 1, 2010

Gr 9 Up-When her mother chooses her boyfriend over her own daughter, Elle, 16, is moved into an apartment across Manhattan. She develops a friendship with Frank, who lives next door, and with Molly, Frank's girlfriend. As her feelings toward Frank turn into a crush, Elle becomes conflicted over how to deal with them. At the same time, she is befriended by "Us," a group of kids who are gay, lesbian, or just different in some way. When they meet Frank at a party and tell her they think he is a "trans man," Elle becomes angry and abruptly asks them to leave. Then she learns that Frank is a woman in the process of becoming a man, and she withdraws. However, when Frank is hit by a car and Elle nearly loses her best friend, she begins to understand the importance of acceptance of both others and herself. The value of friendship and the struggle to be comfortable in one's own skin are issues brought to light in this novel. As Elle learns to deal with who she is, she also learns to deal with those who aren't just like her. Willing to admit her mistakes and growing stronger throughout the book, Elle is a likable, well-developed character with whom teens will identify.-Gina Bowling, South Gibson County High School, Medina, TN

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2010
Grades 8-12 At age 15, Elle lives alone in the apartment where her mother dumped her, since her boyfriend doesnt like having teens around. But then Elle meets her next-door neighborsweet, gentle Frankand she develops an immediate crush. When several of her new friends tell her Frank is a female-to-male transgender person, Elle is furious, dumps her friends (as Mom dumped her), and goes into deep denial. The rest of the story is about how she finally comes to terms with the truth of her friends observation. Unfortunately, Hyde (Pay It Forward, 2000) has written more of a therapeutic handbook than a novel; virtually every person Elle meets has a problem that must be resolved. Elle herself is not only deeply troubled but also an extremely unlikable character. What redeems the novel is the character of Frank, who is never a case study but a real human being whothough sometimes too saintlybelies every stereotype about transgender people. For that reason alone, the book deserves a wide readership.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)