Rick

Rick is starting middle school and navigating questions about identity, friendship, and growing up. As his peers become interested in dating and crushes, Rick realizes he may experience attraction differently from others. Rick joins the Rainbow Spectrum club at school, where students discuss gender, sexuality, and identity. Through the club and new friendships, he learns vocabulary and concepts that help him understand himself better. With support from his family and new friends, Rick works to be honest about who he is while managing changing dynamics with his best friend from childhood. He must decide what kind of person he wants to be and how to stay true to himself. The novel explores themes of self-discovery and acceptance in an accessible way for middle-grade readers. Through Rick's experiences, the story normalizes questioning and learning about identity during the preteen years.

Readers find Rick resonates with middle grade students exploring identity and friendship. The book receives consistent 4+ star ratings across platforms. Liked: - Clear, accessible writing for the target age group - Natural handling of LGBTQ+ themes without being heavy-handed - Positive portrayal of supportive family members - Realistic middle school social dynamics - Inclusion of asexual representation Disliked: - Some found the pacing slow in the first half - A few readers wanted more depth in secondary character development - Parents of younger readers noted discussions of sexuality may need guidance Ratings: Goodreads: 4.28/5 (4,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (350+ ratings) BookPage: 5/5 Sample review: "This book helped my child understand that it's okay to question and take time figuring yourself out. The friend dynamics felt true to middle school life." - Goodreads reviewer Another notes: "Would have benefited from more scenes between Rick and his grandfather to strengthen that storyline."

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🌟 Alex Gino wrote Rick as a companion novel to their groundbreaking book George (later retitled Melissa), but the stories can be read independently. 🎭 The book explores asexuality and aromantic identity in middle-grade literature, making it one of the first children's books to address these orientations. 🌈 Author Alex Gino serves on the board of NOLOSE, a body-positive organization that celebrates size diversity and works to end fat discrimination. 📚 Rick joins his school's Rainbow Spectrum club, which was inspired by real-life Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs that exist in many schools across America. 🎨 The book's cover art, featuring a purple backdrop with yellow text and a young person's silhouette, was designed to appeal to readers while avoiding gender stereotypes in its imagery.