A Boy Named Queen

Gr 3–6—A creative new kid comes to town and opens the protagonist's eyes to new possibilities: in a twist on usual trope, however, this book features a manic pixie dream boy instead of a girl. Evelyn's rigidly ordered, conventional existence changes for the better when Queen joins her fifth grade classroom. While Queen's name and occasional flouting of gender conventions make him a target for the class bullies, the two quickly bond over basketball and their strong imaginations. The plot contains little drama, instead focusing on Evelyn's feelings of awe and empowerment as she gets to know Queen and his bohemian family. Even Evelyn's biggest act of rebellion is quite tame: she brings a family heirloom cream jug for show-and-tell and tints the cream purple with food coloring. Her newfound confidence allows her not to care that some classmates find this weird. The ending is a bit abrupt and anticlimactic.