Gracefully Grayson

September 29, 2014
Sixth-grader Grayson has ways of getting by—he doodles abstract triangles
instead of the princesses he yearns to be, and he wears oversize T-shirts and loose pants instead of the skirts and dresses he longs for. Grayson’s aunt and uncle worry about his isolation (his parents died when he was small), and they are thrilled when he makes his first friend in years and tries out for the school play. They’re less thrilled to learn he auditioned for the lead role—the Greek goddess Persephone. Debut
author Polonsky uses the play effectively, showing the community that builds among the actors, Grayson’s connection to Persephone and her underground captivity, and the tensions swirling around the casting choice and the play’s director, a popular teacher who may or may not be gay.
Polonsky skillfully conveys Grayson’s acute loneliness and his growing willingness to open up about who he is, though the book has a dutiful feel in its efforts to raise awareness about gender nonconforming and transgender preteens. Ages 10–14. Agent: Wendy Schmalz, Wendy Schmalz Agency.

This earnest, quiet audiobook focuses on lonely sixth-grader Grayson Sender, whose typical middle school travails are heightened by the gradual realization that, although assigned the male gender at birth, she's definitely a girl. This realization is thrust into the spotlight, quite literally, when Grayson is cast as the female lead in the school play, leading to changes for her both at school and at home. Narrator Emily Beresford channels Grayson's first-person voice in a matter-of-fact tone that is sometimes undercut by quavers of anxiety, moments of dramatic intensity, and the ring of burgeoning confidence. Listeners will empathize with Grayson as she finds new friends and takes the first brave steps towards self-discovery. R.A.H. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine