A really enjoyable story about Jamie, a non-binary child in Year 6, about to make the choice for which secondary school they’ll attend the following year. It would be such a good one to read in primary school and beyond to spark conversations about identity. I thought the story was really relatable and brilliant to see this representation in fiction. Jamie was a great character - strong willed and confident with a bunch of amazingly supportive friends too. An important book that should be in every school library:

Jamie completely surpassed my expectations. A thoughtful, timely, insightful & important read that needs to be in every school library. I will be recommending Jamie to everyone I know, it's absolutely brilliant!

4.5/5 A joyous, hopeful and timely read that focuses on the importance of changing out dated societal rules in order to make sure everyone feels included and welcome. This would be an excellent addition to any senior primary classroom and would spark lots of worthwhile conversations about gender identity, human rights, the power of friendship and kindness with readers aged 11+
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to adding it to my collection!
Thank you to Netgalley.co.uk and Orion Children's Books for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful book highlighting what it is like to be non-binary and navigating the changes that come with moving to secondary school. Jamie told their friends and family that they didn’t identify as male or female when they were in year 4 and everyone accepted it. But as it comes time to choose a secondary school - where the choices are a boys’ school or a girls’ school they feel that they don’t have a place to go. Along with their friends Ash and Daisy they mount a protest which feels to send things in a spiral, until they find local fame!
Told in the first person, it is easy to get into the mindset of Jamie and understand their feelings. As the novel progresses, we can recognise how those around Jamie are impacted by an impending move to secondary school and the campaign going on around them. Each chapter ends with Jamie Rambeau’s Guide to Words which explains key terms that many readers might be unfamiliar with.
This is a joyful and educational novel about bravery and acceptance which everyone should read!

I’m such a fan of LD Lapinski’s books. Their Strangeworlds Travel Agency middle grade series was BRILLIANT - did you think so too? LD has made an brave and incredibly important statement in ‘Jamie’. Where some children mightn’t know their true gender at the age of 11 years, Jamie is a confident non-binary child. Accepted and respected for their gender both at home with mum, dad and gay older brother, and at primary school, Jamie is living a happy life, blissfully floating along with best friends since nursery - Daisy and Ash. It’s not until the quandary arises around secondary school that a very big dilemma arises. The only two choices for secondary where Jamie lives are an all boys school or an all girls school! Which school should they attend? Surely neither is right? Then there’s the added pressure of the best friends being split up, Ash going to the boys school and Daisy going to the girls school… who would get Jamie? The thing is that at the meet and greet with the heads of the secondary schools, its very clear that neither of them ‘get’ Jamie at all!! Jamie is not going to stand for it and neither are their friends. They take their protest to the city council, because the system needs to change for non-binary kids like Jamie!! LD’s telling of Jamie’s story is paused every now and again as they have included a age-appropriate glossary of terms about not only gay history and activism, but also words that explain gender - especially the importance of respecting pronouns ‘they’ or ‘them’, andwhat it means for a non-binary person when you get it wrong. Although I work with non-binary people, I have made the unconscious error of saying ‘he’ or ‘she’ and felt embarrassed and apologised in the moment, however, this story really brought it home to me how that feels for them. I needed this book in my life to be able to walk in a non-binary person’s shoes and see the world they way then need to see it. I would expressly recommend all teachers of Y6 and Y7 children read this book. Thank you LD… and Harry Woodgate for your incredible illustrations.

LD Lapinski has triumphed with Jamie. It is a book all about standing up for what is right and not allowing other’s prejudices to get in the way of what you believe in. Jamie is about to go to High School. So are their friends, Daisy and Ash. The trouble is, the only schools to choose between are either solely for girls or for boys. And, Jamie identifies with neither of these. When the headteachers of both schools don’t appear to be listening, Jamie decides that it is time to make their voice heard.
This is a powerful, brilliantly written book about finding one’s voice, being compassionate and not being afraid to question decisions. I read it almost in one sitting and recommend it for UKS2 readers.
Congratulations LD!

"‘I’m not the only non-binary kid in the world, Mum. And none of us should have to lie about who we are just to make things easier for the rest of you.’"

Jamie is proud to be non binary. Every thing was fine in their life. Their friends accepted them, their life in school and at home was good, until it wasn't.

When Jamie and their friends start Year Six, it is officially time to start thinking about secondary schools, except, Jamie is in a dilemma.

There is a secondary school for boys, a school for girls, but what about Jamie? Where should they go when they don't identify as either?

It's not fair, but with help from their friends Jamie want to show the teachers, their parents and anyone who will listen that being non binary is not a phase, and they deserve to be in a school where they don't have to hide or lie about who they truly are.

Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with an eArc of the book in exchange for my honest review!

Jamie Rambeau was in year four when they had told their best friend Ash a secret; that they weren't a boy or a girl. They were non-binary. Ash just said ok, but I might get your words wrong sometimes. Next they told Daisy, their other best friend and then Mum and Dad and their brother Olly, he's gay so he thought it was amazing! Then the other children at school heard about it and then the teachers. There were a lot of meetings but it was sorted out.
But now in Year 6 there's a problem - not with their school but with the possible high schools. You see one is for boys and one is for girls, where does Jamie fit in? Jamie cannot choose, why should they?
And so it begins a campaign to bring forward change in these high schools. For once Jamie is determined to be seen and heard.
But when the three of them get arrested, Jamie's dad realises that he and mum have not understood Jamie's problem at all. However, they have attracted attention, they get support from the local university LBGTQ society. They know a lot about Jamie's problems with misgendering and are appalled that only boys or girls schools are available.
Their primary school head also realises there is a problem and she wants to have a school Pride with a picnic thrown in. The whole school goes Rainbow crazy. On the day of the Pride picnic, waiting in line to go in, is the head of the boys' school and some boys from the school. What does this mean?
I liked this book. The story is really good. I had not begun to imagine how hard it would be for a non-binary child to deal with life, but this opens your eyes. At the beginning of each chapter is a box of info, including details about misgendering, flags, Pride, to name a few. A great book for UKS2/LKS3. A must for anyone wanting to understand.

Jamie is a joyous children’s novel about a non-binary kid who, along with their friends, attempts to expose and rectify some of society’s most unfair systems.

It begins during Jamie’s final year at primary school. Them and their fellow year 6 students, particularly their friends Daisy and Ash, are planning what secondary schools they will attend next September. That’s when they run into a problem; the two local secondary schools are both single-sex.

This means not only will Daisy and Ash be split up, as Daisy must attend the all-girls school and Ash The all-boys, but it also means Jamie doesn’t know which school they can attend. Though some characters suggest Jamie has the choice of either, Jamie knows that that’s not strictly true; after talking to both schools’ headteachers, Jamie realises that to attend one of the schools they must pretend to be a boy or a girl.

Facing pressure from both secondary schools—and their own primary school—to back down and ‘stop making a fuss’, Jamie is left to fight their battles without much adult help. Even their parents suggest that Jamie is over-reacting, leaving them feeling even more alienated and stressed.

There’s a lot to love about this novel, from the need to find out what happens next to the beautifully explored themes of friendship and bravery and fighting intolerance. The characters are exquisite too, particularly Jamie’s brother and his non-binary partner. Both of them are fabulous!

I believe this book would be a welcome addition to all schools and should be required reading for everyone—adults included. After reading it, nobody would be able to claim ignorance or say “I just don’t get it” in reference to discussions about gender again, at least not without telling a HUGE lie.
Thank you L.D. Lapinski for teaching me even more about what it means to be non-binary and for opening my eyes up to how our society needs to change to be more inclusive of the people who live in it

Jamie
By L. D. Lapinski
Published by Hachette Children's Group

A beautifully positive story from L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, about how to be brave, make your own place in the the world even when you don’t think you fit in anywhere.

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who loves to hang out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But Year Seven looms and with that comes Secondary School and all its changes. When the trio discover they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, emotions run high!
Now their friendship is being questioned, pulled between “what if’s, and what be will be best” and suddenly there is a “risk involved” for every member.

But it is Jamie who realises “no one” has thought about where they are going to go, as the choice is girls or boys secondary school choice! So they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it out once and for all.

Jamie is a brave and emotional character, surrounded by an equally brave, loyal and emotionally involved friendship group.

Groundbreaking in its representation and treatment of themes surrounding non-binary children, Lapinski has brought this into our lives, hearts and classrooms. This uplifting and inclusive novel highlights the child’s queries and their concerns about starting a new school: something we can all connect - nerves, friendships and fitting in.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.

#Netgallery
#Lapinski
#Hachette

An incredibly necessary book overflowing with queer joy that proves that you can always rely on your friends.

I loved this book! A fabulous example of friendship fiction for this age group against the backdrop of social injustice. The complexities of Jamie's situation and feelings were beautifully handled, and it was easy to root for them while also seeing how at time their friends' feelings were not being considered - very nice friendship dynamics.
Speaking as an English teacher, I enjoyed the structure of including the non-fiction elements at the end of each chapter to teach LGBT+ vocab and make the social justice concepts more explicit - very good for the target age group and would work well in class.
However, the strength of the text is definitely in the emotions - the story, the characters - and overall this was a great read which many young people will certainly enjoy. Thanks, Netgalley for letting me check it out!

"I want you to be who you are without anyone caring"
I love this statement made by the Jamie's dad , at a pivotal moment in the story because it really sums up what is so important about this story. Jamie is just a child who wants to get on with their life, without having to fight for recognition or simply the right to exist legally. Their story highlights quite how difficult this actually is., even at their young age. A lovely story which is well pitched for its targeted audience but that some adults could also do with reading!

Jamie is an incredible book! It's powerful, it's informative, it's fascinating, and it is so very important. It's absolutely one of those books that every child should have access to. For some of them, it will help them to understand what is going on with them themselves. For others, it might give more insight and understanding into what their siblings, their friends, their wider family or even their favourite celebrities are going through. For all of them, it'll teach understanding and empathy.

It's a story about a child, Jamie, who is non-binary. Jamie isn't a boy and they aren't a girl, they just don't feel right identifying or being identified as either gender. And they're happy, for the most part. This isn't an angst ridden coming out story, and I love how from the start Jamie knows who they are and is supported in this by their family and their friends. Even their school is understanding and supportive, mostly. Life seems pretty good for Jamie, with their wonderful brother, and two best friends, Daisy and Ash. But then high school looms on the horizon, or rather, two high schools, one for boys and one for girls, and neither one for Jamie. They now have to navigate a difficult route to high school, and an adult world that isn't as understanding or as supportive as the one they've been surrounded with so far.

This book definitely sets out to inform the reader about what it means to be non-binary and what it is like. There are explanations of key terms scattered throughout, in a way that makes sure every reader knows exactly what it's talking about without ever being patronising or coming across as lecturing. It's very well done, and I found it really helped me to learn more about a subject I thought I was already quite well versed in.

It's not just those definition points though. There are elements scattered throughout that a lot of people maybe wouldn't think twice about but which we need to think about. The visiting head teachers to Jamie's school start off by greeting the boys and girls in the audience, something their own teachers had dropped in favour of more inclusive language. A simple change to "Good morning children" rather than "Good morning girls and boys" is so easy to make and means that you can start your assembly or your talk in a way that doesn't immediately exclude anyone non-binary in the audience. There's a lot like this in here, those little things we can all be more aware of and those easy changes to make in our own behaviours. But then there are the bigger changes, shown here by the two schools. There's also this attitude that comes across really strongly from the two head teachers, and from others, including at times Jamie's own, generally very supportive parents. This question raised, "Why do you have to make this so difficult?" Jamie's asked several times to just pick one. It doesn't matter, really, no one is going to insist that they are a boy or a girl, they just have to pick one for the form, so that this will all go away and they can go to the high school of their choice. It raises an important question, I think. And it's not the one above. It's "Why is this worth fighting for?" And it answers this question in a really powerful, emotional way. This is important, it's part of Jamie's identity, who they are, and it is absolutely worth fighting for. Not just for Jamie but for anyone who comes after.

One of the things Jamie does so well as a book is addressing these different elements, the small practicalities and the big societal changes alike, and explaining them and showing us why they matter and what we can do to bring about these changes and make our world a more inclusive, diverse place. There are some wonderful characters who support Jamie, from his parents who do find it hard at times, to the university student who shows us that things are changing in some places at least. There are great examples of allies. And I love Ash and Daisy. There are some key reminders that whatever we're going through, we need to be mindful of what other people are going through too, as Jamie's own struggles threaten his closest friendships.

Jamie is gorgeous, emotional, powerful and absolutely essential reading!

Jamie is a fast, fun, sparky and uplifting read that I know is going to be incredibly important and valuable to young readers.

Jamie is an important book that celebrates acceptance and being yourself.

Jamie is happy in their primary school, but the move to secondary comes with an unexpected challenge. Their town has two secondary schools - one for girls and one for boys. Jamie, who is non-binary, is neither, so where are they expected to go? And why has no one else even given it a second thought?

Lots of children are apprehensive about the change from primary to secondary school and young readers will really relate to Jamie and their friend's worries, even if their own circumstances are different. While Jamie feels like the world is forcing them to be something they're not, Ash is worried about making new friends and Daisy about leaving her old friends behind. Balancing their own dilemma with their friends' worries is tricky for Jamie at first, and they worry about seeming selfish.

Jamie shows that one person can make a difference, as well as the importance of both small and big progress for enacting change - whether that's getting a local school to rethink their admissions policy, or a change to government forms.

It is a story with a wonderful friendship at its heart - one that can withstand daring rooftop adventures, plan brilliant campaigns and even survive the scariest separation it has ever faced. I also loved Jamie's brother, Olly, who brightened every page he appeared on.

Jamie is an important and timely middle grade with a great story, a fantastic protagonist and a lot of non-binary pride.

Non-binary school story, gives us all something to consider.

Jamie hasn't found things too difficult since coming out as non-binary ("Jamei Rambeau coming out wasn't even the most interesting thing to happen that week - not where a mix-up in the school kitchen meant the creation of Double Chips Friday to get rid of a potato surplus"). Best friends Ash and Daisy accepted them, teachers and other students soon got used to the pronouns. Jamie's parents may be more quiet about it but have always been there. Jamie's gay brother was of course delighted.

But now, a unique situation is developing in Jamie's city of Nottingham, where year 6 students must select either the girls' or boys' secondary school for next year. Jamie doesn't feel right about choosing either, losing one friend and part of their identity, ticking a box that defines them incorrectly.

And Jamie can't decide if they should tow the line to keep things easy, or (the scary option) make waves and maybe make a change.

A short novel, but gets through a lot. Jamie regularly defines terms for the readers - gender, androgyny, gender dysphoria, Pride (with history I wasn't aware of) that illuminate the action. Jamie does come across as selfish at times, as their friends note, but we also come to understand why, and how we might feel if we were in the same position. If how we saw ourselves wasn't accepted as real by others, if others kept trying to tell us we are something we don't feel we are.

The issues faced by Jamie's two friends are also highlighted, and I did like how the short length conveyed so much, parents' own thoughts on their child's gender and how they were coping with it, differing teachers' viewpoints, and a full-on exciting climax readers will love.

I think these characters are important to introduce to readers, who need to know we live in a multicultural and very varied world, that not everyone is like us, and that this is okay. Understanding is the key to living in society together. Characters like Jamie help with that:
"In an ideal world, being non-binary would be as ordinary and regular as having to wear glasses - something a lot of people do, but no one much cares about."

Nicely written, and parents/teachers would do well to read along. For ages 10-14.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Jamie is enjoying their last year of primary school and likes nothing better than spending time with their friends Daisy and Ash. However, when they attend a talk at school with their parents about which secondary school they will go to, everything changes as they only have two choices: Queen Elizabeth's High School for Girls or St Joseph's Academy for Boys. What Jamie wants to know is what they are going to do, as being non-binary, there seems to be no options for them. They try to talk about it but nobody seems to be really listening so they decide to take matters into their own hands. With the help of Daisy and Ash, can Jamie find a solution?
Every once in a while a book comes along and you just know it is going to be an important book, and this is how I felt once I'd read Jamie. I began reading it last Sunday evening, thinking that it may take me a few days to finish; oh how wrong I was! Once I began, I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. There are so many positive messages in this book and LD Lapinski manages to weave them into the plot with ease.

This book looks at some very big topics in a way that children will understand and appreciate. Making the move from primary to secondary school is a big enough move without having the added complication of feeling that there isn't a school for you. Jamie is understandably upset and confused, especially when the adults around them don't seem to be really helping. I felt for Jamie at so many different points during the book and really wanted to just reach into the book and help the adults to understand.

As well as the story, the book contains useful useful guide pages put together by Jamie to help readers understand terminology.

Jamie is a book about being yourself, about standing up for what you believe and about helping others to accept you for who you are. It's about friendship, family and about being brave. It's about identity and acceptance; it's about understanding and raising awareness. Jamie is a book that shows children that they should be proud of who they are and reminds adults that they need to listen.

Jamie needs to be in every school and is a book that deserves all the praise that I know is coming its way when it's published on the 30th March.

An essential read for young people or parents who are navigating their own LGBTQ+ story.

While this book focusses on the non-binary Jamie, it’s relatable for anyone who is learning about themselves and how they find their place in the world. By the end of this book,

I guarantee you’ll be thinking about the tiny accommodations you could make to improve someone else’s life immeasurably.

L.D. Lapinski is such a fantastic author, and I am never disappointed by their books!

Jamie follows 11year old Jamie, who is non-binary and it's time to choose a secondary school. The only issue; the only two secondary school options for Jamie aren't suitable, so Jamie has to stand up and fight for the right to 'belong' without changing who they are.

It can be a tough read at times, knowing too well the hoops and conversations trans and non-binary people have just to be themselves, but Jamie is so filled with love, joy and friendship too.
Being non-binary myself, I wish I had this book when I was younger as a lot more things would have made sense, but I am so incredibly glad and happy non-binary kids have this book now.