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

Ciel may have settled into high school with their best friend Stephie and new buddy Liam, but life is anything but ordinary for this non-binary trans kid! Between an important science project for school and their ever more popular YouTube channel, Ciel and their friends find themselves involved in a campaign to represent the LGBT Alliance. Life is taking off in all directions!

Sophie Labelle is an internationally renowned visual artist and author from the South shore of Montreal. She is the transgender cartoonist behind Assigned Male, a webcomic about a group of queer and trans teenagers that has been running since 2014 and has touched millions of readers. She lives in Finland.

Sophie Labelle's profile page

Andrea Zanin, MA, is a white, nonbinary, middle-aged queer writer who lives in Tkaronto (Toronto, Ontario), on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. Andrea’s writing focuses on nonmonogamy and BDSM/Leather. Andrea has written for the Globe and Mail, The Tyee, Bitch, Ms., Xtra, IN Magazine, Outlooks Magazine and the Montreal Mirror. Their scholarly work, fiction and essays appear in a variety of collections.

Andrea Zanin's profile page

• Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids & Teens, Spring 2022

A Globe & Mail Holiday Gift Guide Pick | The Globe & Mail | November 19, 2021

A lively sequel that follows non-binary trans kid Ciel into high school with best friend Stephie and new pal Liam and a campaign to represent the school’s LGBT Alliance. While representing the complexity of LGBTQ+ identities, Labelle and Zanin also draw upon the kind of relatable school assignments and projects that makes Ciel’s unique experience all the more accessible.

The Globe & Mail

"Ciel’s energetic and eager voice, as well as their passion for life and appreciation for all types of people, shines through the pages...Bearing a sweet nostalgic air for school days, Labelle’s narrative revolves around relatable situations for readers, from science projects and school assignments to attempting to build and maintain a social circle while exploring one’s own self-expression and identities."

Booklist

“A bright and open story.”

Kirkus Reviews

"An entertaining yet educational middle grade novel that represents a plethora of LGBTQ+ identities and experiences that many young people will be able to identify with regardless of their own gender and sexuality."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"A good addition to any middle grade collection desiring true-to-life stories of LGBTQ+ kids."

School Library Journal

"A lively sequel that follows non-binary trans kid Ciel into high school... While representing the complexity of LGBTQ+ identities, Labelle and Zanin also draw upon the kind of relatable school assignments and projects that makes Ciel’s unique experience all the more accessible."

The Globe & Mail