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A review by teenlibrarian
The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean
5.0
Arc provided by publisher for an honest review.
Wow. I just heard about this book a few days and couldn’t wait to read pick up The Ship We Built after hearing such an heartfelt booktalk by the editor. As someone with a trans masculine family member, I search for books that could’ve and would’ve helped him at that time and I don’t see as many trans masculine middle grade stories as I’d hope.
Thank you to the author Lexie Bean, they wrote a much needed book that I hope will find its way into the hands of those who need it.
This is an achingly beautiful middle grade story of a trans boy, Rowan (birth name Ellie), in 5th grade writing letters attached to balloons being sent out in the world, desperately hoping someone will and won’t find them. Rowan has so many secrets and is trying to figure things out; this is his journey, written in epistolary form.
This book is set in 1997/1998, I was only a few years older than Rowan and I thoroughly enjoyed so many little nuances and memories of music, pop culture, and food from my childhood being included.
No spoilers in this review, no quotes (though there are so many stand out lines).
This book tactfully explores topics: suggested sexual abuse/incest, homophobia, mean girls/bullying, racism, incarceration, and alcoholic behavior.
Wow. I just heard about this book a few days and couldn’t wait to read pick up The Ship We Built after hearing such an heartfelt booktalk by the editor. As someone with a trans masculine family member, I search for books that could’ve and would’ve helped him at that time and I don’t see as many trans masculine middle grade stories as I’d hope.
Thank you to the author Lexie Bean, they wrote a much needed book that I hope will find its way into the hands of those who need it.
This is an achingly beautiful middle grade story of a trans boy, Rowan (birth name Ellie), in 5th grade writing letters attached to balloons being sent out in the world, desperately hoping someone will and won’t find them. Rowan has so many secrets and is trying to figure things out; this is his journey, written in epistolary form.
This book is set in 1997/1998, I was only a few years older than Rowan and I thoroughly enjoyed so many little nuances and memories of music, pop culture, and food from my childhood being included.
No spoilers in this review, no quotes (though there are so many stand out lines).
This book tactfully explores topics: suggested sexual abuse/incest, homophobia, mean girls/bullying, racism, incarceration, and alcoholic behavior.