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mbrandmaier's review
4.0
This reminds me of the Kids of Polk Street series from back in the day… except that it also teaches about gender identity, though it is not the main plot point in the story. The main plot point is that Riley and their friends are extremely excited for costume day at school, and they spend the week excitedly getting ready.
angiew23's review
5.0
Riley Reynolds
I just finished reading this amazing early chapter book by Jay Albee. Jay Albee is actually a joint pen name for a team of author and illustrators, Jen Breach and J. Anthony. The book I read was Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day, and is one of at least four books in the series. The story centres around Riley, a nonbinary 4th grader, and their friends/classmates as they prepare for a costume party at school. While the story features several diverse and LGBTQ+ characters it is really a story for kids about a kid being a kid. As a teacher, I know how badly my colleagues and I just want diverse stories that are not about being diverse, ie. overcoming gender stereotypes, dealing with the emotion of transitioning, etc. We know how important those books are too, but we really just want a bunch of books that feature diverse characters and give students an opportunity to see themselves represented in the books they are reading.
This book is divided into 7 chapters and each chapter has a graphic novel style set of pictures at the end. The book ends with discussion questions, writing prompts and information about the creators and starts with a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms. I think this book (and series) offers a great opportunity for young readers to learn about LGBTQ+ people and enjoy a short chapter book at the same time. I look forward to purchasing this series for my Grade 3 classroom in the future!
I am so appreciative of Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book! I can't wait to share my opinions with my teaching partners and colleagues! I know they will also want to get their hands on these books for their students too.
I just finished reading this amazing early chapter book by Jay Albee. Jay Albee is actually a joint pen name for a team of author and illustrators, Jen Breach and J. Anthony. The book I read was Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day, and is one of at least four books in the series. The story centres around Riley, a nonbinary 4th grader, and their friends/classmates as they prepare for a costume party at school. While the story features several diverse and LGBTQ+ characters it is really a story for kids about a kid being a kid. As a teacher, I know how badly my colleagues and I just want diverse stories that are not about being diverse, ie. overcoming gender stereotypes, dealing with the emotion of transitioning, etc. We know how important those books are too, but we really just want a bunch of books that feature diverse characters and give students an opportunity to see themselves represented in the books they are reading.
This book is divided into 7 chapters and each chapter has a graphic novel style set of pictures at the end. The book ends with discussion questions, writing prompts and information about the creators and starts with a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms. I think this book (and series) offers a great opportunity for young readers to learn about LGBTQ+ people and enjoy a short chapter book at the same time. I look forward to purchasing this series for my Grade 3 classroom in the future!
I am so appreciative of Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book! I can't wait to share my opinions with my teaching partners and colleagues! I know they will also want to get their hands on these books for their students too.
kaistephan's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
2.5
As a nonbinary person, I am always excited to see nonbinary rep in kids books, but this one felt like the authors were so determined for Riley's gender to not be the focus of the story that they ended up with no focus of the story. There are over ten different named characters in a 64 page book. There is an entire chapter of just name-dropping other queer-friendly kids books. There's no narrative arc or emotional payoff - Riley thinks of a costume, Riley makes a costume, Riley and their friends show off the costumes. It might be a good escape for a queer kid who wants representation without the angst, but it plays it so safe it's closer to boring than uplifting.
vaiomo's review
4.0
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Wow this was amazing, I loved the swap between a comic to a written out story.
Riley's stories are always fun to read however I find it so important that not only the children are educated on Riley's dun adventures but also on the whole Non-Binary behalf of the story.
I think it's a beautiful way to educate while entertaining and cannot express that more.
Absolutely loved it!
Wow this was amazing, I loved the swap between a comic to a written out story.
Riley's stories are always fun to read however I find it so important that not only the children are educated on Riley's dun adventures but also on the whole Non-Binary behalf of the story.
I think it's a beautiful way to educate while entertaining and cannot express that more.
Absolutely loved it!
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
This is the story of Riley, the non-binary forth grader, who is totally accepted by their classmates, and who even look up to them, when it comes to costume design.
The whole school is trying to come up with costumes of their favorite book characters, and the children are not sure if they can dress as knights, if they are girls, or as a rainbow, or as Alice in Wonderland.
But with Riley's help, and encouragement, plus the parents and teachers that are all accepting, costume day turns out well.
What I really love about this book is that the story isn't about Riley as a non-binary child, though it is about them, but how they are part of the story of playing with costumes. Their gender is explained, and then the story moves on, which is the best way to do it. That helps the children who are in the same situation realize that what they are feeling is normal.
This is a great book to show tolerance, as well as acceptance.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The whole school is trying to come up with costumes of their favorite book characters, and the children are not sure if they can dress as knights, if they are girls, or as a rainbow, or as Alice in Wonderland.
But with Riley's help, and encouragement, plus the parents and teachers that are all accepting, costume day turns out well.
What I really love about this book is that the story isn't about Riley as a non-binary child, though it is about them, but how they are part of the story of playing with costumes. Their gender is explained, and then the story moves on, which is the best way to do it. That helps the children who are in the same situation realize that what they are feeling is normal.
This is a great book to show tolerance, as well as acceptance.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
bookishjanna's review
4.0
This was so cute!! Non-binary rep!! Friends and supportive friends!! Amazing!!
thelibrarysghost's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this! The combination of text story and images is a fantastic touch to add some color and whimsy to the tale. Reading a younger aimed book about a non-binary main character was so incredibly refreshing and it put such a great perspective on identity. Not everything has to be some big over complicated process, as Riley said "I dont have to be a boy or a girl. I can just be me!"
Representation is so important from a young age as we really do start learning more about ourselves and the world around us with an innocent open mind. Positive representation can be life changing for children as it can not only teach them about themselves, but teach them about the people around them and how to better understand and accept the differences we all may have. I wish books like this had been around when I was young!
Representation is so important from a young age as we really do start learning more about ourselves and the world around us with an innocent open mind. Positive representation can be life changing for children as it can not only teach them about themselves, but teach them about the people around them and how to better understand and accept the differences we all may have. I wish books like this had been around when I was young!
timewillfall's review
4.5
9/10
thanks to netgalley for the arc!
Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day is a middle grade book that follows Riley, a non-binary 4th grader, and their class as they all decide what costumes they want to wear from their favorite books. I think this book is great for people looking for LGBTQ+ middle grade books. The artwork is fun, the story is cute and meaningful, and most importantly it shows non-binary characters getting to be happy.
thanks to netgalley for the arc!
Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day is a middle grade book that follows Riley, a non-binary 4th grader, and their class as they all decide what costumes they want to wear from their favorite books. I think this book is great for people looking for LGBTQ+ middle grade books. The artwork is fun, the story is cute and meaningful, and most importantly it shows non-binary characters getting to be happy.
sophieissapphhic's review
5.0
Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day follows Riley, a non-binary fourth grader, as they prepare for their school’s Costume Day. The prompt for Costume Day is to “Dress Like Your Favorite Character,” and Riley can’t wait to start planning their costume! However, some of the other kids are having trouble coming up with costume ideas. Don’t worry, Riley is happy to use their creativity to help other kids prepare for Costume Day!
Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day was a joy to read! Riley loves to help their classmates, and their creativity and spirit shines through on every page. The pictures are a wonderful addition to keep kids engaged, and the language is perfect for early chapter book readers!
apageoutofmybook's review
4.0
arc provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This book follows a non-binary elementary schooler named Riley Reynolds who’s getting ready for costume day at their school, along with their friends.
I love seeing a children’s book with a non-binary character, and loved that the librarian was also non-binary,
The kids were so supportive of each other and I loved how much Riley wanted to help their friends.
There was a little intro section explaining non-binary and queer identifies, which I appreciated! There was one thing I noticed - when it talked about the LGBTQ+ acronym, it only mentioned gender identity but this acronym is about more than just that - and saying that these are just a few of the ways people can describe their gender is confusing because lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, etc are not used to describe gender.
I am so happy that we are getting more children’s stories with LGBTQ+ characters, especially non-binary characters,
rating: 4/5 stars
This book follows a non-binary elementary schooler named Riley Reynolds who’s getting ready for costume day at their school, along with their friends.
I love seeing a children’s book with a non-binary character, and loved that the librarian was also non-binary,
The kids were so supportive of each other and I loved how much Riley wanted to help their friends.
There was a little intro section explaining non-binary and queer identifies, which I appreciated! There was one thing I noticed - when it talked about the LGBTQ+ acronym, it only mentioned gender identity but this acronym is about more than just that - and saying that these are just a few of the ways people can describe their gender is confusing because lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, etc are not used to describe gender.
I am so happy that we are getting more children’s stories with LGBTQ+ characters, especially non-binary characters,
rating: 4/5 stars