by Caroline Huntoon
First sentence: “Time with Katya, my figure skating coach, is in high demand.”
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Content: There is some bullying and misgendering. It’s in the Middle Grade section (graes 3-5) of the bookstore. I read this book for the Cybils, and this reflects my opinion and not that of the whole panel.

All Mars wants to do is skate. They feel the most at home on the ice, especially since their dad’s death. But, things off the ice aren’t simple: they haven’t come out to their family as nonbinary, their best friend is making new friends that aren’t terribly accepting of Mars, and they might have a crush on a girl at the skating rink. It’s a lot for a 12-year-old to handle. And when they decide to skate in the men’s division of a competition, that makes everything they thought they were holding in come spilling out.

I liked this one a lot! I liked the portrayal of Mars as an enby kid, and the way it was expressed. I liked that their mom was supportive, once she found out, and all the conflit and drama was centered around figure skating and the binary way the sport is structured. I liked the relationships Mars had, and the realistic ups and downs they went through. And I never felt like Huntoon was simplifying or dumbig thigns down for the audience.

A solid story, good for both people who love to skate and for those who want a book from a nonbinary perspective.