Welcome to Litsy!

#TransRightsReadathon Day 1
Moonflower by Kacen Callender was the perfect book to kick off the readathon with! So many authors shy away from writing nuanced stories about suicidal ideation for young readers or with young characters, but Callender completely embraced the darkness that they struggled with as a child while still managing to write a life affirming story.
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My TBR for the #TransRightsReadathon keeps growing! Good thing it starts tomorrow or I‘d have no shot at getting through a decent portion of my list.

https://instagram.com/p/Cpu4BhKsweA/

#BookReport #WeeklyForecast This week has had a few disappointments, but also a lot of nice surprises! I started the tagged book a few days ago for #MiddleGradeMarch and a few chapters in realized that a Kacen Callender book would be the perfect thing to add to my list for the #TransRightsReadathon so I‘m putting it on the back burner until Monday even though I‘m dying to find out what happens.⬇️⬇️⬇️

#FocusesOnMentalHealth Starting this one today on audio for #MiddleGradeMarch

#MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Sometimes Casey is an uncooperative model. This is the best shot I got when I asked him to pose with MOONFLOWER.

I have complicated feelings about the book. I think it‘s the story Kacen Callender needed when they were young and scared. I think it‘s the story *I* needed when I was young and scared. It‘s probably the story A LOT of scared kids need—but sadly, it hasn‘t blown Adult Me away like I expected it to.

12-year-old Moon is Black, gender nonbinary, nonverbal and depressed to the point of suicidal ideation. He escapes to the spirit world via astral travel every night. Young readers (age 9 and up) who feel sad or like they are misfits in our world may find comfort & inspiration in this gentle story about learning to love oneself and find connections with others. Akwaeke Emezi‘s Pet has similarities, except with more ferocity.

The Byrds‘ version of the Desiderata became stuck in my head upon reading the following passage: “You are a part of the universe itself. You, the universe itself, wanted to have a life as a child named Moon. You chose to come here. You decided to live.”

I wish I was in an alternate universe right now. A universe where people liked it when other people are different from them. It would be a good thing, in this alternate universe, that people were really weird, or that they had too many ideas that were new, too many thoughts that were puzzling and confusing, too many questions that asked others to think in a different way.

This week‘s library haul, with a guest appearance by my hot water bottle. I‘m excited for all of these, but I think MOONFLOWER‘s in the top spot because I loved Kacen Callender‘s KING AND THE DRAGONFLIES so much. I anticipate more amazing MG from them.