 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ISBN: 978-0062820266 Publisher: Balzer + Bray Copyright Date: 2020 Reading Age: 14-17 Reading Level: Grades 9-12 Awards: Stonewall Book Awards Genre: Young Adult Fiction Subgenre: Romance Plot Summary Felix Love is attending one of the most competitive summer art programs in the country. His hope is that it will give him a better shot at a full scholarship to Brown University. Then he discovers that someone has posted images of himself pre-transition with his dead name. Being Black, queer, and transgender wasn't enough—now someone is trying to cause him harm, sending him transphobic messages. Felix decides to track the individual down and seek revenge, he discovers there is more to the story than he anticipated. This is a story of friendship, forgiveness, and heartbreak, and at the end, Felix may just learn how important self-love really is. Critical Evaluation Felix Ever After is a story about representation. Felix is Black, queer, and transgender, and that intersectionality is scary for him. He grapples with issues such as being dead named and transphobia. This very real struggle may be an issue for some LGBTQ students who may feel too much attention is being focused on fear and not enough on the rest of the story. However, Felix is doing other things with his life. He is attending one of the most competitive summer art programs in the country. He has goals for a full scholarship to Brown University. This is a story about the potential for love and forgiveness, but some people may find the love triangle aspect of the tale to be trope-y and troublesome. Felix Love has never been in love, and yet, when he finds it, it is complicated in the manner of sitcoms. This is a multilayered book about self-acceptance with a main character that is Black, transgender, and queer. The fact that that intersectionality is a major aspect of the tale should not, perhaps, be that surprising. Its saving grace is that it is also a story of hope and empathy and realizing that loving yourself is even more important than being desired by others. That is a concept many teens struggle with, and it is good to have a story with different aspects of representation as well as that examination of self-love. Reader’s Annotation Felix Love has never been in love—yep, the irony is something else. When Felix discovers that someone has posted his dead name, trying to find who was involved will lead him down paths where he will need to live up to his name.  About the Author Kacen Callender is a bestselling and award-winning author of multiple novels for children, teens, and adults, including the National Book Award-winning King and the Dragonflies and the bestselling novel Felix Ever After. Kacen enjoys playing RPG video games, practicing their art, and focusing on healing and growth in their free time. They currently reside in St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, where they were born and raised. (About the author and photo can be found here.) Booktalking Ideas Felix Ever After has an amazing cover. Talk about flower crowns as part of the booktalk. Discuss the term dead name and how using someone's dead name can cause harm. Challenge issues: LGBTQIA+, violence
Challenge Issue Resources: Nevada County Library Selection Policy Selection of materials is based upon a number of criteria that include:
The Library selects materials in accordance with the guidelines stated by the American Library Association in its Library Bill of Rights, and Freedom to Read Statement and Freedom to View Statements. The Library supports diversity of expression and views in its collection in an attempt to provide patrons with a foundation for making informed decisions and formulating personal opinions. The Library does not exclude items because of the race, nationality, social, political, or religious views of the authors. The presence of controversial materials in the collection does not represent the Library’s endorsement of the opinions expressed therein. Although some materials selected may contain language and/or illustrations that may be offensive to some patrons, the Library cannot undertake the task of pleasing all individuals by censoring such items. Active Listening Skills Staff should listen calmly to the patron’s concerns without judgement or commentary. They should acknowledge the public’s right to challenge materials and help the patron find an alternative item that will fit their needs. Nevada County Library Reconsideration form Any citizen may challenge materials. If the citizen chooses to submit a written Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, Library staff will collect reviews and accumulate data on how the material conforms to the selection policy. An ad hoc review committee consisting of the Library Director, Branch Manager, one other librarian, and a citizen appointed at the discretion of the Library Director will review the material, judge whether it conforms to the Selection Policy and submit its report in writing to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. Concerned parties will be notified of the final decision in writing. ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services. Why Included This is a multilayered book about self-acceptance with a main character that is Black, transgender, and queer. The story is full of hope and empathy. It is also about differentiating between being love and finding the love one deserves, which can be a very important lesson for teens. |