Finding my spark

key selling points

• a tween discovers that even though he's been raised as a girl, he's actually a boy, and he decides to open up to his family and friends so he can finally be himself.
• a picture book for an older age group, this book combines the story of 13-year-old alex with full-page illustrations, helping make this emotional journey of coming out as trans inviting and accessible for kid readers, introducing them to the topic of gender identity at an age where they (or others they love) may be grappling with it themselves.
• deals respectfully with gender dysphoria and the struggles the main character faces trying to decide whether to come out while being hopeful and encouraging, as the child's family and friends are supportive of his revelation.
• inspired by isabelle jameson's son's experiences, including the struggle once puberty hit, the shopping trip with his father, and the letter he wrote to his mom. when he wanted to come out to his class, they were looking for a book to help, and they didn't find anything—so isabelle wrote this.
• sylvain cabot's illustrations have a graphic-novel quality that makes them well-suited to this age group, and he captures the details of alex's life in a realistic, evocative way, providing extra details for readers to pore over on repeat reads.