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.

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski is a wonderful story about being yourself, the power of protest, friendship and growing up. It’s the sort of story that wasn’t around when I was younger but probably should have been and I couldn’t be happier that theses stories exist now.

Jamie is non binary. This is is told to us by Jamie themselves in a first person narrative that is both honest and realistic. Jamie out to their parents, so this isn’t a coming out story, but is the story of a child who lives in a world where other people make it difficult for them to be themselves, even if they are totally at ease with it.

Jamie and their friends, Ash and Daisy, have to make a decision about which school they will be attending after Primary. The town’s schools are split into a school for boys and one for girls. Jamie is left with an impossible decision that will see them unable to be their true self. Together, the trio decide to make a stand and have Jamie’s true self known and respected.

I really enjoyed this book. For a Year 6 child moving on to a new school, this is a high stakes story, even without the challenges faced by Jamie and his friends. Jamie is a lovely narrator, discussing the issues they’re facing with honesty and self reflection that is unusual in many teen/pre-teen characters. Their regular glossary of terms is perfect for those people who want to get it right but don’t always know what everything means and is a perfect addition.

Jamie is a great read and, at heart, is a story about growing up, friendship and the power of protest. The greater available of books that include LGBTQ+ characters and rights make me feel a little more optimistic for a future where young people can see themselves represented and heard.

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski is published by Hatchette Children’s Group on 30th March 2023.

This was unputdownable from page 1. Jamie knows who they are, they just need everyone else to know it too. When it comes to choosing a school for Year 7, Jamie knows that they can't pick it based on gender. This is a really clever and sensitive way to open up discussions with adults about gender identity (although we maybe shouldn't encourage climbing to the top of buildings!).
Anyone who works with children should read this book. I cannot want to get this for my class and I know there is one child who will love seeing themselves represented in print. Thank you for writing this, it's such an important issue for many of our young people.

Oh my gosh, this book matters so much. This is an incredible story of LGBT pride, standing up for what’s right, surrounding yourself with people who stick up for you and learning about being non-binary. Jamie is incredible and I wanna give them a hug. Trying to change the world and make it inclusive for everyone takes one small step at a time. I loved learning about pride. We need more kids books including LGBT characters at the front and centre. This just filled my heart with absolute queer pride.

I really enjoyed this book but it definitely made me more conscious about the things at my school that should be considered more carefully. Jamies courage in being their true authentic self is so brave. It was so good seeing them realise that they had been making themselves smaller to try to fit in with society when really society was what needed to change. It must be so hard though to have to fight constantly to just be able to be yourself and I hope that one day this won't be necessary anymore. I also really liked the way that Jamie's friends supported them throughout but were also confident enough to point out that actually, they had things going on too and those things mattered. Changing schools is hard for all children and this book is also a great conversation starter about feelings around moving to secondary school. I would definitely recommend this book and I'll be adding it to our school collection!

A hugely important novel for kids about acceptance, identity and understanding. Jamie identifies as non binary and is quite happy until they discover that the local secondary schools are split into a school for girls and a school for boys. Feeling frustrated that they don't fit with either, Jamie and their friends stand up for their rights.
A really accessible book with great added information about vocabulary and what it means. Really educational both for staff and pupils.

Every child deserves to see themselves represented in the books they read. Jamie by LD Lapinski makes this possible for children often under-represented.
11-year-old Jamie is non-binary. Life is about to change with the move to secondary school. For best friends Daisy and Ash, school choice is easy – Daisy will go to the girls’ school and Ash will go to the boys’ school – but it’s not so clear for Jamie.
As options are considered and difficult conversations had, Jamie learns to speak up for themselves and be true to who they really are. Readers will be inspired to use their voices and act with courage, even when adults don’t seem to understand.

A joyous, tender story about realising that sometimes you have to "make a fuss" and be loud and make others uncomfortable in order to carve a place for yourself in a world that refuses to bend its shape to acommodate you. I am so glad that young readers have this kind of book, that's both an engaging story and a valuable resource.

A lovely book - which introduces us to Jamie Rambeau and their dilemma when faced with going to either the local girls or boys secondary school. We are introduced to some great characters and role models. Like the little fact / definition boxes at the end of each chapter.

Jamie is faced with a choice of going to a boys' school or a girls' school - an easy choice you might think but not so when you are non-binary. With neither school willing to bend their entry requirements, Jamie takes matters into their own hands to raise awareness of the issues facing non-binary kids.

This is a book that needs to be in every school so that every child is aware that they have a voice.

At first I was thinking that this story was a bit too simple and lacking in description. Actually as you get into it, that works in its favour. It is very much about Jamie and their situation. Jamie is non-binary and their only options for Secondary school are a boys school or a girls school. There are some very useful, informative sections scattered throughout the book explaining the terminology and how Jamie feels about it. I thought I was pretty clued up, but I did come across some things I didn’t know.

It is the story though that is the heart of the book and you really feel for Jamie and their friends as they try to raise awareness and understanding for Jamie’s dilemma. I liked that it wasn’t just about Jamie and we got to see that their friends were also struggling with the thoughts of Secondary school. I find it a thoughtful and informative read and a great middle grade introduction to a subject children might not know much about.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

I came into teaching late in life – as my second career, it was one that I didn’t train for until both of my children were at high school 12 years ago. Over the course of the last 12 years, much in teaching has changed and while, in my opinion, some of the changes that have been implemented have not been for the better something that most definitely has is the presence of books on my class shelves that have shown LGBTQ+ representation – something that sadly wasn’t a thing when my offspring went through school.

While many readers will be familiar with the diverse characters that author L. D. Lapinski created in their Strangeworlds Travel Agency trilogy, most of them will not have been lucky enough – as I have been – to have a sneaky peek at new read Jamie, which publishes in March. The name of the author will be enough to prompt many readers to pick up this title but I’m hoping that its subject matter will ensure that it reaches an even wider audience than Strangeworlds because this is a title which needs to be in every primary and secondary school library and shared as widely as possible.

For protagonist Jamie, coming out as non-binary in Year 4 to friends and family has allowed them to be true to themselves and life has plodded along reasonably happily until the onset of Year 6. Until, that is, an open evening is arranged for students and parents to meet the Heads of local high schools, St Joseph’s and Queen Elizabeth’s and watch them sell their schools to prospective pupils.

The evening does not get off to a good start for Jamie when they suddenly realise that one school is exclusively for boys while the other caters solely for girls, leaving them worried about where they will go in Year 7. As if this is not bad enough, both prospective Heads use non-inclusive language to introduce themselves and their schools. Following their presentations, Jamie tries to raise the subject of which school they will be attending with the two secondary heads and their primary one but the conversation does not go well.

Feeling unsupported by both the schools and their family, Jamie hatches a plan to draw attention to the unfairness of the situation, roping in friends Ash and Daisy to help. But when the plan goes wrong, the three of them draw attention to the situation in a way they could never have expected. Can Jamie win over the Heads and find a solution to their situation or are the three friends destined to be split up from one another?

While I have never knowingly taught a trans child, it seems likely that over the past 12 years I will have done so – certainly at our neighbouring high school, a trans pupil was on the role a few years ago and they may well have passed through my primary, possibly in need of support as Jamie so clearly is here. Both in my current Year 3 class and when I was in Year 5, the subject of gender has cropped up as it so naturally does with children and we have discussed those who do not consider themselves to be cishet with all present accepting very happily that there are so many different kinds of normal.

For Jamie, it is clear that the issue is not so much children but with adults who may be stuck in their ways and unwilling to have their opinions changed – even those who really should know better. This book will go a very long way towards challenging the idea of everyone neatly fitting into male or female boxes with its hugely empathetic storyline and with the explanations that appear at the end of each chapter, covering topics such as misgendering and what Pride actually represents. Certainly, I learned from it and I hope that not only will this story reach its target audience of 10+ readers but it will also be widely read by the adults who work in schools so that they may better support our LGBTQ+ children.

A fabulous story, which I urge you to read and to share as widely as you are able to, my enormous thanks go to both publisher Hachette Children’s Group and to Net Galley for my virtual advance read. Jamie publishes on March 30th.

I love this book! I downloaded it and read it in one go. It's so affirming and I really like the addition of a mini-glossary at the end of each chapter to educate readers about terminology and etiquette relating to trans and non-binary people. This is such an important book that I wish had existed when I was a child. Jamie does experience some discrimination/transphobia which made reading slightly difficult/triggering in places, but it was not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book as a whole. Jamie should be in every KS2/middle-grade classroom.

Jamie and his friends are incredible, and this book is full of hope! The main trio are inspirational, from the rooftop protest to the school pride, they made a huge difference.

I really enjoyed the little tidbits of information from Jamie throughout the book. While I knew the definitions of the words that Jamie told us, the audience of this book is much younger than me, and will likely learn a lot from this book.

This is the book I wish I'd had at Jamie's age, and I am so happy for all the nonbinary children who will get to read this and see that they belong.

I feel I don't know if I have the right words to review this because of the importance of its content and I want to do it justice. Jamie tells the story of Jamie who is non binary and their friends Ash and Daisy in their final year at primary school. They have to make a choice of which secondary school to attend but the choices are a boys school and a girls school. So where does Jamie fit in? Through the story we see all the everyday binary choices Jamie has to make to live in society from choosing a toilet to which department to choose when buying clothes. What happens from Jamie's initial question of where do I fit in ranges from being called a troublemaker to sine understanding and education. Some of the adult characters learn a lot from listening and changing their views and while the atort depicts some changibg in attitudes, it shows that change is a long process but importantly it is achievable. I loved the part with the rooftop protest and the community support. It gives hope for the future. Hope that everybody can find their place in the world, hope that everyone can respect others for who they are and their identity and hope that changes can be made for inclusivity for all, no matter how old traditions are. This is an important book for all children and adults, and it is an example of how books are windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors. Windows so we can see the life of a non binary child/teen and other LGBTQ+ people's experiences; Mirrors so readers can see their oen lives reflected in the story; sliding glass doors so all readers can step into the world of Jamie and develop empathy for experiences of LGBTQ+ people.
In between each chapter is also Jamie's guide to terminology sich as pride, gender dysphoria, transgender, non binary etc. An absolute must read.

What a beautiful and uplifting story, and a totally necessary one too! I particularly enjoyed Jamie’s word guides throughout - such a brilliant way to introduce complex and sometimes fraught topics to readers young and old, and hopefully start some interesting conversations.

The diverse cast of characters perfectly represent the world we live in, and it was so heartening to show older characters admit their mistakes and learning from them. Reading about young characters like Jamie with such a strong sense of self is a joy, and showing a friend group made up of such different personalities who still accepted and valued each other was so lovely.

I just wish this book was around when I was 11!

Jamie...my heart is singing! An uplifting story indeed and one that will inspire, bring comfort and hope to young people within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. It's essential reading for those who want to understand more about what it feels to be non-binary and navigate a world where binary norms completely surround us. Jamie explains the meaning of many of the terms surrounding LGBTQ+ and it's really evident throughout the book that's it's okay to learn from mistakes and people can change their minds and thoughts. It delves deeply into how a heteronormative world regularly fails to consider, whether deliberately or not, the impact of this on those that don't identify solely with one gender and the effect on young people as they grow up in this world.

I was also particularly happy that the fabulous Mama G makes and appearance! I think that's the first time ever in a book I have actually met one of the characters in real life!

I really enjoyed Jamie. I think this is such an important book to add to your library and to learn from. Maybe some more people will be open to reading it and become more open to the prospect of inclusivity.

This is an essential story of hope, pride and acceptance for anyone who has ever felt that they don't belong. While this book will help young non-binary and members of the LGBT+ community feel seen and represented in the books they read, it will provide others with insight into some of the difficulties facing our young people in a sadly still heteronormative society. 'Jamie' filled me with a hope that things can change when people stand up for what is right.

Jamie is a non-binary Year 6 child who, when about to apply for a place in secondary school, discovers that their only options are a school for boys or one for girls. Belonging to neither, Jamie, with best friends, Daisy and Ash, has to fight for change so that there is school suitable for them and others like them. So begins Jamie's journey in protest, from posters to parades.

I loved both the story and the celebration of self, inclusivity and individuality, with all of its colours of the rainbow streaming throughout. I know that this has the potential to be a life-changing book for many young people who wrongly feel that they don't fit.

I gave it 4 stars, which for my ratings means it is an excellent story that I highly recommend but that there was just something stopping it from making it a 5-star read. For me, it was that there were a few times where I didn't find Jamie likeable. I cared for them for what they were going through and wanted to make it right for them, but I didn't always like how they acted towards others. Maybe that was intentional by the author in order to make the point that people didn't always treat Jamie the way they should have been treated!

I'll end by repeating what I said at the beginning, though. This is such a brilliant and important story and one I hope is read and loved widely. We need more hope, pride and rainbow fairs in our lives, and we all need a place where we feel we belong. Well done, L.D..

Jamie is such an amazing book. It's both a story and a guide and written brilliantly. It's such an important and hopeful book that I cannot wait to recommend and Jamie is a character everyone will love.

Jamie had been best friends with Ash and Daisy since birth. Now in Year 6 they face a year of tests and decisions. One of these is applying to either St Elizabeth’s School for Girls or St Joseph’s School for Boys. But Jamie is non-binary and has to make a decision on one option when it will split up the three friends either way.
When they start to raise the issue they meet people who simply could not understand the problem.
Jamie wanted to be reasonable and visited the Council Offices to request they fly the non-binary flag as they do the Pride flag. Goaded by an official who simply dismisses the trio, the friends find themselves stranded outside at the top of the building by the flagpole having to be rescued by the Fire Service. But it sparked interest and educated many people along the way.
Each chapter concludes with a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms for further explanation.
A great read about careless words and identity.