A review by james1star
Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

To my knowledge this was my first queer middle grade book I’ve read and it was really good. The plot focuses on eighth-grader Jake who recently came out as gay to his parents and to show his support, his dad flies a large progress pride flag in their front lawn. Most of the people in his small Ohio town of Barton Springs welcome Jake and the flag but it’s not too long before complaints are sent to the rather manipulative mayor calling for it to be brought down… I mean what’s it representing to outsiders? What if it makes people want to hold a pride festival? Jake, alongside his supportive parents, long term best friend Jenna and new friend Brett (who’s the mayor’s son btw) try to plot and make this a reality. 

I think what Stamper does so well is how he explores the idea of ‘pride’, how it can mean different things and how one comes about obtaining it. He also talks about how small towns aren’t always that accepting of queer people and therefore at the earliest opportunity, many choose to leave for cities or other places where they feel ‘at home’ where one’s hometown should always be this - not directly mentioned but you can get a sense of the growing rural-to-urban movement of people and how it’s impacting small towns. Brett is shown to deal with lots of pressure and stress placed on him by his mother the mayor and how this affects both his personal and academic life is explored, the discussion on anxiety and seeking support was also nice to see in a MG book. Homophobia is again a recurrent theme but nothing is explicit catering to the intended audience but it’s still spoken about in a sophisticated manner with some nuance but clearly those spewing it are painted in the wrong, as they should. Understanding one’s sexuality is also highlighted with an emphasis on letting people come to terms with it in their own time and on their own terms which was great. 

The characters were really great, they had complexity, realness and most were super lovable too. Jake is so adorable and you want good things to come his way, Jenna is a great friend and has a good philosophy of being kind to all and Brett, despite some actions, was great too. The main plot and messages were great but oh my was I here for the lovely romance (kinda… ish?? Not really but also yes) that begins between Jake and another character but I won’t say who. They were eight-graders so I googled this (as a Brit) so are meant to be 13-14 years old and I do think they were written this way, maybe a little disparity with some parts making them seem younger but as the reading age is 8-12 I understood Stamper’s reasonings and I think it’s great that people of that age can see that they can be like or have the things these characters have in a few years time.

And now this brings me on to my favourite part of this book: that it’s here and a thing that can be seen on the shelves of a bookstore, library or online and accessible to younger readers, it’s got great representation and attitudes that just make me so happy for children of today. It’s maybe a little bittersweet when I think about my childhood and not having things like this to show/tell me I’m valid and ‘normal’ but I’m still happy. I can’t wait to check out more of Stamper’s books in the YA section. 
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