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A review by allysonbogie
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
5.0
Dunkin is new in town when he catches a glimpse of Lily helping her dad with the groceries. The next time he sees Lily, she is wearing boy's clothes and going by the name Tim. He's puzzled, but he's also dealing with a lot of other things--including mental illness, and trying to fit in as an 8th grader at a new school.
The story goes back and forth between Dunkin and Lily's stories. At times they interact, but much of the book details their separate experiences. Both want to be friends but as the book reminds us, it can be very difficult to navigate friendships when you're in eighth grade.
Gephart beautifully portrays both Lily and her experience being transgender, and Dunkin and his experience with bipolary disorder.
The book represents different types of families and shows that parents have emotional lives and needs, too. Both families are very likeable overall, and are very caring. This is one of the things that makes the story feel very middle grade.
I think the hardest aspect of this book to identify is the age group. The print size, age of the characters, and the tone of the story are very 5th to 7th grade. But I think that librarians, parents, and booksellers will likely feel that the content is more of a 7th to 10th grade maturity level. Especially because it's about 8th graders, the book is too young for high school. It's really a great book for 7th and 8th graders, because it is set in middle school. However, more sophisticated middle school readers may be put off because it feels a bit young. I hope that it will find its way to some 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in addition to a middle school audience.
The story goes back and forth between Dunkin and Lily's stories. At times they interact, but much of the book details their separate experiences. Both want to be friends but as the book reminds us, it can be very difficult to navigate friendships when you're in eighth grade.
Gephart beautifully portrays both Lily and her experience being transgender, and Dunkin and his experience with bipolary disorder.
The book represents different types of families and shows that parents have emotional lives and needs, too. Both families are very likeable overall, and are very caring. This is one of the things that makes the story feel very middle grade.
I think the hardest aspect of this book to identify is the age group. The print size, age of the characters, and the tone of the story are very 5th to 7th grade. But I think that librarians, parents, and booksellers will likely feel that the content is more of a 7th to 10th grade maturity level. Especially because it's about 8th graders, the book is too young for high school. It's really a great book for 7th and 8th graders, because it is set in middle school. However, more sophisticated middle school readers may be put off because it feels a bit young. I hope that it will find its way to some 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in addition to a middle school audience.