Finding My Spark

I don't want to hide—I want to shine.In this middle-grade picture book, a tween feels uncomfortable when puberty hits and he realizes he's not the girl everyone thinks he is. First he cuts his hair and tries to hide his body in baggy clothes, but eventually he gathers the courage to open up to his family and friends, choose a new name and be the boy he knows he is.

When puberty hits, Alex begins to realize he's been misgendered as a girl his whole life.

First, he stops wearing dresses and paints his room a dark color. Then he cuts his hair short. But people still aren't seeing the real him. His mom has always called him her "little star," but he doesn't feel like shining. Instead, he feels like hiding away.

Alex knows he should tell people who he really is, but he can't seem to get the words out. Will his parents be mad? Will his friends still like him? He decides to write a letter to his mom telling her the truth. Slowly but surely, he starts telling others—first the rest of his family, then his class. The big explosion he worried about never comes, just love and support. He's still his mom's little star, and he can finally be himself and shine.