I was sent an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher, Scholastic. This does not change my opinions in anyway, this is an honest review.

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"Exactly. If I'm not too young to have feelings for a boy, then I'm not too young to have feelings for a girl".

CW: homophobia, grief

Set in 1977, Sam and Allie's story teaches children about the path to acceptance in many forms; family, friends, and yourself. After Allie's brother, Eric dies in a car crash, she and her mom move to North Carolina from their home in New Jersey, where Allie's dad is living. When Allie starts at the new middle school, Daniel Boone, she meets Sam, a quirky and outgoing girl who Allie later discovers she's crushing on.

Shannon Hitchcock incorporates religious beliefs into her story by showing different sides of how religion can shape others views on homosexuality. This shows children that there is a difference between faith and homosexuality. This book dives into the topic of the Bible saying that homosexuality is bad or an "abomination" which is said and discussed in the book with a Reverend who Allie goes to seeking advice. I absolutely loved this part of the book because it's the reality for many queer people.

I strongly recommend this book! It's hella cute and teaches so many important lessons into a short amount of pages. Any child could see themselves in this book. This book teaches children how they can help out in the community and at school as well as how to deal with hard topics. Also, a little gay girl who likes to ride her horse?? Can you get any more pure than that? Probably not.