Phil Stamper

From acclaimed author Phil Stamper (The Gravity of Us and As Far as You’ll Take Me) comes a poignant coming-of-age, contemporary middle grade debut novel about finding your place, using your voice, and the true meaning of pride. Perfect for fans of Rick by Alex Gino and The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy.

Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio.

When Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard in an overblown show of love, the mayor begins to receive complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade.

Except Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea. Why can’t they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? The problem is, Jake knows he’ll have to get approval from the town council, and the mayor won’t be on his side. And as Jake and his friends try to find a way to bring Pride to Barton Springs, it seems suspicious that the mayor’s son, Brett, suddenly wants to spend time with Jake.

But someone that cute couldn’t possibly be in league with his mayoral mother, could he?

An ALA Rainbow List Pick
A 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist for Best Middle Grade and Children’s Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022
A Maine Student Book Award 2023-2024 Reading List Nominee

-Amazon description… (more)

Whoa, dang, this one is really sweet but full of the big feels. I really appreciate how it models living though grief in a number of ways. I love that cousin Riley is such a spitfire and such a successful streamer. I love that Eli and Mat get to be two kids crushing on each other and nobody but nobody cares. I love that it shows off the many faces of NYC -- close conditions, heat, bugs sometimes, many stairs and also the glory of an east coast big city neighborhood where people start to know you and the sheer amazingness of all the city has to offer. Great work on negotiating Dad-Eli relationship. Interesting foray into coding. And I feel like any book that succeeds at putting food at the center will succeed at bringing the heart. This one sure does.… (more)

literally one of the most god awful things i’ve read in a long time. the author was trying so hard to be woke, it was painful and came across as completely out of touch. like i’m struggling to discern if this was written by a middle-aged person who /thinks/ they are really good at understanding modern teens and young adults or if it was written by a 13 year old on wattpad who doesn’t have a clue what life is like as an 18 year old. it just reeked of the weird, twisted lives that teens have in reality shows. no one fucking lives like this. no one is like this! if the main character of the book exists, i wish him actual death. i actually can’t believe how unlikable the main character is in this. he’s such a spoiled brat dick. he makes me sick. this whole book makes me feel sick.

my personal favorite lines is every time the main character says that “texas is NOT ready for this” when he describes some prissy douchebag outfit that i just know if anyone wore in real life he would get ~hatecrimed~ as he probably would say (some gay people do deserve to be bullied. it’s him. he should be bullied). my absolute favorite tho is him commenting on some woman looking like she’s praying and he’s like “well this /is/ texas. damn republicans.” as if praying is something only christian and only republican??? so fucking cringy. the writing was just so horrible. i think i’m scarred for life. why did i even finish this?… (more)