Queer Middle Grade: The Best Liars in Riverview and Different Kinds of Fruit [Summer Reading Recap]

• A quick-paced read that I finished in one sitting, protagonist Aubrey’s voice pulled me into the story as I wondered what had happened between her and Joel and if she would find him before adult interference became problematic.
• The Best Liars in Riverview explores what it can be like to be young and questioning in a town full of well meaning white Christians, who smooth over and stay quiet and uphold the status quo.
  • [Aubrey reflecting on a kid in gym glass who would say “God, Gallagher, you’re such a girl.”] Sometimes he wouldn’t say “girl.” Sometimes he’d say words that were worse. Coach Nielsen, our PE teacher, might hear. He might say, “Second commandment, Thomas.” We all memorized the Ten Commandments in Sunday school at the Church of the Sacred Heart. The second one is this: Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain. Neilsen would make Rudy Thomas run a lap around the gym for saying “God” like that. He never acknowledged the other words. (pg 141)
• Aubrey reminded me of Bug from Too Bright to See – both kiddos full of sadness for a reason deeper than they can identify at the start of the story. They both know they’re not happy with how their communities view them, but they haven’t yet pinpointed why.
  • “Your sister has sleepovers with other girls. […] It’s different. Joel’s a boy, and you’re a girl.” I didn’t know why that made anger flash through me, hot like lightning. I didn’t know why I hated, hated, hated my dad for pointing that out. (pg 74)
  • [Mom’s response when an elderly family member thinks Aubrey looks too much like a boy:] Lots of girls these days wear T-shirts and ponytails. It’s true. I knew it was true. But my stomach was fluttering like maybe I’d eaten too much Jell-O salad. (pg 135)
• There’s a moment where Aubrey, her sister, and their friend Mari are playing pretend that I loved. Aubrey makes a face at the suggestion of being elf queen and Mari quips “Elf king, then” with a little smile of, perhaps, recognition, so Aubrey plays as elf king in the court (pg 162). Small gestures, both negative and positive, can have a huge impact.
• It’s been awhile since I flagged so many passages and quotes in a middle grade story. I found lots of lines that cut straight through to the heart of something, even if Aubrey hadn’t yet recognized the significance herself. I won’t share everything I noted here – go read the book 😜
• 💭 The Bottom Line: I don’t often read books that I think suit this award, but I’d say The Best Liars in Riverview is a strong contender for a Newbery medal or honor.

• Different Kinds of Fruit explores generational differences among queer folks – in particular, two distinct experiences of being trans. The book’s a little more didactic than I something I would usually enjoy. But I think it’s an incredibly valuable story, especially as a mirror book, for kids who might find themselves in Annabelle or Bailey.
• Two key characters – Annabelle’s new friend Bailey, who is nonbinary, and Annabelle’s father, who is trans – may be considered truly fictional characters, IE not realistic. I agree with that sentiment, but I also don’t take much issue with it. While Bailey plays a key role in the story as a sort of model, middle class, white queer kid, educating Annabelle, they do have a fully realized personality and experiences of their own. (I do take issue with anyone saying Bailey is too perfect – no spoilers, but Bailey makes mistakes, too.) I’m okay with this instance of a character in a middle grade fiction novel serving as an aspirational role model, for the most part.
• As for Anabelle’s dad, he experiences some rapid character growth that does seem unlikely given his personal history. But again – this is middle grade fiction and his growth gives the story a hopeful arc and I might even argue that kids read and appreciate this book are also smart enough to recognize that for themselves.
• Let’s talk about Annabelle’s dad some more. I’ve always said I love adult characters in middle grade… Annabelle’s dad has to be the most complex parent figure I’ve read about! He has a lot of queer trauma from his past, as Annabelle comes to learn over the course of the novel.  His experience and Bailey’s experiences are in many ways radically different.
• It’s Annabelle’s dad who makes this story a pretty intense read. I had not at all guessed he would be antagonistic. The story has way more tension than I anticipated, dealing with some big, nuanced concepts that haven’t been spotlighted in middle grade yet. There were moments reading this book where I felt my stomach do back flips. Annabelle and her dad’s relationship goes through a lot of painful growth.
• Annabelle and Bailey go to an alternative school, where one entitled kid, Dixon, is super concerned with the idea of ‘fairness’. Fairness, in the way that makes him ask, “So, if I wanted to invite a group of straight people to talk about being heterosexual […] that would be okay too, right?”? I wondered how many Dixon-type kids you’d find if the story was set at a public school… but even Dixon goes through his own wee bit of development. It was actually a little heartbreaking as we see more of Dixon’s parents and realize where he gets his ideas from, and a little encouraging how we see Dixon’s POV change over the story. He wants fairness for everyone, and eventually learns that equality is different from equity.
• The last little thing I want to note is I thought Annabelle’s crushes were kind of adorable and super realistic for this age.
• 💭 The Bottom Line: A tough read at times, Different Kinds of Fruit explores themes common in middle grade, but through characters and experiences that are far less common. Despite some didactism, it makes a valuable contribution to the canon of queer MG lit.

What are your favourite queer middle grade titles?
What other contemporary 2022 middle grade releases would you recommend?