A review by nadjatiktinsky
The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Man, this one is a real heart-wringer. Fifth-grader Rowan (or maybe...Paul? Or Kevin?) is trying to navigate school after his popular-girl friend group ditches him. To make things even tougher, he's just starting to realize that he's a boy, even though everyone else sees him as a girl. This book is made up of the letters Rowan writes each week, ties to balloons, and releases in hope that they'll be read by someone more understanding than the people he's surrounded with. I love this book for Rowan's beautiful voice, the authentic 90's-childhood feel, the sadness that is intense yet so hopeful, the nice teacher we meet just when it matters most, the racial injustice awakening in a ten-year-old...all of it!! This is a great book to hand to the trans or questioning kid in your life, but any child will see themselves reflected in Rowan's friendship struggles and fears about not being ready to grow up.