Spin with Me
Ami Polonsky
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
From the author of the critically acclaimed Gracefully Grayson comes a thoughtful and sensitive middle-grade novel about non-binary identity and first love, Ami Polonsky's Spin with Me.
In this elegant dual narrative, Essie is a thirteen-year-old girl feeling glum about starting a new school after her professor dad takes a temporary teaching position in a different town. She has 110 days here and can't wait for them to end. Then she meets Ollie, who is nonbinary. Ollie has beautiful blue eyes and a confident smile. Soon, Essie isn’t counting down the days until she can leave so much as she’s dreading when her time with Ollie will come to an end.
Meanwhile, Ollie is experiencing a crush of their own . . . on Essie. As Ollie struggles to balance their passion for queer advocacy with their other interests, they slowly find themselves falling for a girl whose stay is about to come to an end. Can the two unwind their merry-go-round of feelings before it's too late?
PART 1
BUTTERFLY
110 DAYS LEFT
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind when I said you could decorate your bedroom however you wanted,” Dad said from the doorway.
“It’s just a line,” I replied, standing...
Praise for Spin with Me
A BookRiot Best Book for Pride Month!
"VERDICT Hopeful and real, this story is electric. There’s a lot to love here; recommended as a first purchase everywhere." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Polonsky (Gracefully Grayson, 2014) has written a hopeful and insightful text for young readers to explore
gender and sexual identity through an enticing story of friendship, family, and first love." —Booklist
"Polonsky (Gracefully Grayson) sensitively handles Ollie’s gender identity while fully fleshing out their character. The novel makes a compelling argument, reinforced by an extended optical illusion metaphor, for looking at the world from another’s lens." —Publishers Weekly
"Bigotry against Ollie is briefly addressed in one scene but is done so tactfully; it is clear that a great deal of empathy has gone into this narrative. The romance and chemistry between Essie and Ollie are also enjoyable. A charming, feel-good LGBTQ+ story." —Kirkus Reviews
Reviews from Goodreads
Ami Polonsky
Ami Polonsky
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