Levithan, David. Answers in the Pages. Fiction. Knopf, 05/2022. 176pp. $17.99. 978-0-593-48468-5. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-8.
When Donovan’s mother reads the final sentence in a book assigned to his fifth grade class, she demands it be banned because it appears to depict a romantic relationship between two boys. Embarrassed and angry, Donovan soon finds himself at the center of the battle, on the opposing side from his mother. Chapters from the “offending” book, a light-hearted romp entitled The Adventurers, are interspersed throughout the narrative, providing a delightful story-within-astory experience that builds context. A third subplot, set a few decades earlier, features two boys whose relationship deepens as they work together on assignments for another class read: Harriet the Spy (1964). Masterfully woven together, the three threads create a nuanced and timely look at intolerance and the power of love. One of the primary characters is Latinx, others are assumed to be white. In a moving author’s note, Levithan explains that he added specific details, including character names, to honor the work of ground-breaking LGBTQ children’s writers. Recommend this thought-provoking title to book groups as well as to individual readers, and consider setting up a display of the often banned books referenced in its pages.
Jenny Andrus, Independent