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Children's Fiction Lgbt

My Life as a Diamond

by (author) Jenny Manzer

Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Initial publish date
Sep 2018
Category
LGBT, Friendship, Baseball & Softball
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781459818316
    Publish Date
    Sep 2018
    List Price
    $10.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459818330
    Publish Date
    Sep 2018
    List Price
    $8.99
  • Downloadable audio file

    ISBN
    9781459831148
    Publish Date
    Apr 2021
    List Price
    $0.99

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Where to buy it

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 9 to 12
  • Grade: 4 to 7
  • Reading age: 9 to 12

Description

A heartwarming, funny, fast-paced story about the bravery it takes to live as your true self, no matter the cost.

Ten-year-old Caspar "Caz" Cadman loves baseball and has a great arm. He loves the sounds, the smells, the stats. When his family moves from Toronto to a suburb of Seattle, the first thing he does is try out for the local summer team, the Redburn Ravens. Even though Caz is thrilled when he makes the team, he worries because he has a big secret.

No one in this city knows that before Caz told his parents he was a boy, he lived a very different life. It's nobody's business. Caz will tell his new friends when he's ready. But when a player on a rival team starts snooping around, Caz's past is revealed, and Caz worries it will be Toronto all over again.

Will Caz's teammates rally behind their star pitcher? Or will Caz be betrayed once more?

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

About the author

Awards

  • Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award
  • Nominated, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Fiction Award
  • Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Recommended Reads
  • Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
  • Nominated, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Diamond Willow
  • Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Awards - Novels
  • Commended, Children’s Book Council & National Council for Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
  • Short-listed, City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize
  • Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year

Editorial Reviews

“Deals with heavy subject matter around identity and agency, but the fast pace of the book and the warmth and humour author Jenny Manzer imbues it with make this an accessible middle-grade read.”

Books & Ideas, Vancouver Writers Fest

"An engaging sports story."

Kirkus Reviews

&quotProvides young readers with an opportunity to see a community that is accepting of Caz and who he is—not who they think he should be.&quot

Quill & Quire

"Baseball fans will enjoy the play-by-play, but more than that, readers will like the character of Caz. Acceptance of others is a good message for everyone."

School Library Connection

"The author put a lot of research into this…and was successful in having an elementary and middle grade appropriate transgender story. The inclusion of lots of baseball is a big plus, and will encourage readers to pick up the book."

Ms. Yingling Reads blog

"[Caz's] teammates lend authenticity and humor to the book. Family dynamics are portrayed honestly…Competition between teams is fierce, as is camaraderie within the team."

Booklist

"A great novel for elementary grades to learn more about gender, identity, and transgender issues…Filled with lots of baseball lingo and references, this is the perfect book for a die-hard baseball fan."

Resource Links

"The plot and characters strike an ideal balance that will have wide appeal, introducing readers to themes of gender identity that avoids didacticism and sensationalism. My Life as a Diamond will appeal to readers interested in baseball, team-sports, and realistic fiction. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Other titles by Jenny Manzer

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