Spin with Me - by Ami Polonsky (Paperback)

About the Book

From the author of the critically-acclaimed Gracefully Grayson comes a thoughtful and sensitive middle grade novel about non-binary identity and first love.

Book Synopsis

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: delicate, blue eyes, short hair, easy smile. At first, Essie thinks she has a typical crush on a beautiful boy. But as her crush blossoms, she soon realizes that Ollie is not a boy or a girl, but gender non-binary.

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?

Review Quotes

A BookRiot Best Book for Pride Month!
Recommended Reading for NEA's Read Across America 2022-23

"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

About the Author

Ami Polonsky is the author of the critically-acclaimed Gracefully Grayson and Threads. She is a sixth-grade English teacher and a parent of two kids, one of whom exists happily beneath the trans umbrella.