A Boy Named Queen

May 30, 2016
In this brisk, insightful story from Cassidy (Not for Sale), the first days of fifth grade prove eye-opening and confidence-building for heroine Evelyn, whose home life is on the strict and staid side. Change is in the air from the outset: during Evelyn’s annual end-of-summer trip to the shoe store with her mother, they discover that the local institution has been replaced by a fluorescent-lit emporium called Budget Shoes; Evelyn winds up with a pair of canvas shoes instead of the “stiff leather loafers... that have dug at her ankles every year since kindergarten.” At school, there’s another new arrival, Queen, who shows up with a pink T-shirt, a dog named Patti Smith, and a name that makes him an instant target for jokes. Queen’s breezy self-confidence is revelatory for Evelyn, as is her introduction to Queen’s free-spirited parents (“Evelyn realizes she has never touched someone with tattoos. She’s never touched a tattoo!”). It’s an eloquent celebration of individuality and not hiding one’s true self: something that (as Evelyn knows) isn’t always simple, but (as Queen knows) actually can be. Ages 8–11.

Starred review from July 15, 2016
What happens when a girl who is expected to live by the rules meets a boy who makes his own rules?Fifth-grader Evelyn is used to routines. Her mother insists on doing things a certain way--they buy certain types of shoes at a certain time of year, they wear certain outfits to birthday parties, and on the last day of summer vacation they make their house as "neat as a new pin." When Evelyn begins her first day of fifth grade, however, a new student arrives who makes it clear that he makes his way through the world differently from the rest of the students. Queen is white, like Evelyn, and has long wavy hair and wears several beaded necklaces, even though, as the school secretary feels she has to announce, he's "a boy." He and Evelyn form a quick friendship, and she learns that self-acceptance might be even more important than avoiding teasing and criticism from others. Cassidy offers a brief, stellar option for readers looking for characters who refuse to bend to societal norms and instead follow their own instincts toward confidence and joy. The contrast between Evelyn and Queen serves as a meaningful background to the friendship that forms naturally between them. A small, eloquent book with a powerful message. (Fiction. 8-11)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 3-6-A creative new kid comes to town and opens the protagonist's eyes to new possibilities: in a twist on usual trope, however, this book features a manic pixie dream boy instead of a girl. Evelyn's rigidly ordered, conventional existence changes for the better when Queen joins her fifth grade classroom. While Queen's name and occasional flouting of gender conventions make him a target for the class bullies, the two quickly bond over basketball and their strong imaginations. The plot contains little drama, instead focusing on Evelyn's feelings of awe and empowerment as she gets to know Queen and his bohemian family. Even Evelyn's biggest act of rebellion is quite tame: she brings a family heirloom cream jug for show-and-tell and tints the cream purple with food coloring. Her newfound confidence allows her not to care that some classmates find this weird. The ending is a bit abrupt and anticlimactic. VERDICT This brief and extremely low-key story may foster discussion about gender norms and other suffocating conventions, but it lacks the emotional punch of other titles about children who stand out, such as Alex Gino's George or R.J. Palacio's Wonder.-Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Grades 4-7 It's on the first day of fifth grade that Evelyn meets the new boy in townthe new boy named, however improbably, Queenthe one with the dog named Patti Smith and tattooed parents. Though not quite gender nonconforming, Queen is, nevertheless, different, and because of it, the class bullies give him a hard time, even stealing his lunch. But nothing fazes the placid Queen. How do you stand it? sympathetic Evelyn asks. I put up a force field, he answers. All around me. That way, he explains, the dumb things others say bounce off of it. When Evelyn is invited to Queen's birthday party, she discovers two things: she is the only one Queen has invited, and his father was once a member of a celebrated band. This slender story is a quiet one without much in the way of drama; even the abrupt ending lacks resolution, though the point of accepting the extraordinary is made without too much didacticism. Young readers who enjoy slice-of-life books will groove to this one's peculiar beat.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)