Copyright Date:
2018
Edition Date:
2018
Release Date:
10/04/18
Pages:
144 pages
ISBN:
1-680-21599-X
ISBN 13:
978-1-680-21599-1
Dewey:
Fic
Dimensions:
21 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist
(Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Sixteen-year-old Eric Davis, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, loves using his body as a weapon. And he's a proven winner in the MMA ring. But then his eighth-grade girlfriend, Danielle, moves back to town, and Eric is stupefied to learn that Danielle is in transition; she has become Dan, a trans man. Though Dan clearly wants to resume their friendship, Eric is baffled as to how to react to him, afraid that his classmates, who consider Dan to be an "it," will find out about their former relationship. Things become even more complicated when Eric learns that Dan is also into MMA and, indeed, will be competing in the same tournament and weight class as Eric. Could they wind up competing against each other? Author Jacobs does a fine job of dealing with complex material, treating Dan with dignity and respect. As for Eric, although at first conflicted, he proves himself to be a mature and sensitive teen. This entry in the Gravel Road series should find an enthusiastic audience among reluctant readers.
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ALA Booklist
(Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Themes: Realistic Fiction, Gender Identity, Prejudice, Mixed Martial Arts, Teen, Young Adult, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. What if everything you believed in was a lie? Erics old girlfriend moves back to town. Even before he sees her, old feelings stir inside him. Danielle has kept a secret, though. She has never been comfortable in her own skin. Now she identifies as male and goes by Dan. What does it mean to live your truth, and what happens when others are cruelly ignorant? Erics honesty and integrity are questioned. Will he let prejudice destroy what was once a deep friendship? Hard-hitting, contemporary young adult fiction is not trendy--it's not dystopia. There are no vampires, no werewolves, no castles. It's real life. It's unflinching. Gravel Road highlights the talent of YA authors committed to creating realistic fiction with emotional authenticity. No topic is off-limits: suicide, homosexuality, drugs, rape, gangs, bullying. Teens live with this reality each day. And they find a way to survive. Each paperback book is 116 to 275 pages.