Book 4

Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. NY: Delacorte.

Summary of the book:

Lily Jo, also known as Timothy McGrother, is introduced wearing her mom’s red dress and white sandals. Lily is a transgender girl trying to be accepted and is practicing to be who she was meant to be, a girl. Her dad is trying to be supportive of her wanting to transition but is having a hard time with it, especially with the hormonal therapy. Furthermore, Norbert Dorfman, also known as Dunkin, is the new boy in town. The first time he and Lily meet, he meets her as a girl; he doesn’t seem to mind, he also has a secret of his own. He takes two medications to help him with his bipolar disorder. After that summer when they first meet, their lives change and they become friends. Through their ups and downs, their experiences, her transgender journey and his bipolar disorder make them who they are. 

Response:

This book covers topics such as sexuality, mental illness, bullying, family drama and the LGBTQ issues that teens deal with. Therefore, making this book very relevant to young adults who are experiencing something similar and identify themselves in it. This book also can serve as a way for parents to understand the point of view of a child who might be transgender or might have bipolar disorder. These topics covered in this book are important to adolescents and are a good part to have in their literature. The targeted audience for this book is 10-14 years of age. A textbook connection would be “Gracefully Grayson” by Ami Polonsky.  

Links and URLs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07KniLJp7q4  video: book talk with author.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDtalThIRE summary video of book.