Ostracized at school and abused at home for being different, a trans teen writes his secrets in letters that he attaches to balloons and releases into the skies before making a trustworthy friend who understands how it feels to be lonely and scared. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)
A fifth-grader whose best friends walked away, whose mother is detached, and whose father does unspeakable things, copes with the help of friend Sofie and anonymous letters tied to balloons and released. Includes a list of resources related to abuse, gender, sexuality, and more. - (Baker & Taylor)
Tender and wise, The Ship We Built is about the bravery it takes to stand up for yourself—even to those you love—and the power of finding someone who treasures you for everything you are.
Sometimes I have trouble filling out tests when the name part feels like a test too. . . . When I write letters, I love that you have to read all of my thoughts and stories before I say any name at all. You have to make it to the very end to know.
Rowan has too many secrets to write down in the pages of a diary. And if he did, he wouldn't want anyone he knows to read them. He understands who he is and what he likes, but it's not safe for others to find out. Now the kids at school say Rowan's too different to spend time with. He's not the "right kind" of girl, and he's not the "right kind" of boy. His mom ignores him. And at night, his dad hurts him in ways he's not ready to talk about yet.
But Rowan discovers another way to share his secrets: letters. Letters he attaches to balloons and releases into the universe, hoping someone new will read them and understand. But when he befriends a classmate who knows what it's like to be lonely and scared, even at home, Rowan realizes that there might already be a person he can trust right by his side.
“Incredibly good; by turns raw, sweet, horrifying, tender, and hopeful.”—Laurie Halse Anderson, NYT bestselling and award-winning author of Speak and SHOUT
- (Penguin Putnam)
Lexie Bean is a queer and trans multimedia artist from the Midwest whose work revolves around themes of bodies, homes, cyclical violence, and LGBTQIA+ identity. Lexie is a Lambda Literary Award Finalist and passionate about creating honest and complex trans narratives that "transition and grow" alongside them. Their writing has been featured in Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, The Feminist Wire, Ms. Magazine, Them, Logo's New Now Next, Bust Magazine, Autostraddle, and more. The Ship We Built is their debut novel supported with residencies at the Sundress Academy, Paragraph New York, and the Santa Cruz Bookshop. - (Penguin Putnam)
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Rowan is used to keeping secrets, but he also feels the need to talk to someone. Without anyone to listen, Rowan resorts to an unconventional coping mechanism: writing letters—each signed with a different name he is trying out at that point in time—and releasing them into the sky, tied to balloons. For example, I hope that you find this letter, and that you'll read it and won't throw it away. I have some things to tell you. I hope that's okay. I've been just feeling kind of alone. As Rowan's past and present experiences are revealed, readers discover that things are even worse than they first appear; it's not just bullying at school, or misgendering by peers, but also psychological and sexual abuse at home. In time Rowan begins to realize that maybe he doesn't need to send his secrets into a void, but can instead begin to depend on a friend at school. This heartfelt, emotionally raw narrative delicately and respectfully covers incredibly complex issues (homophobia, substance abuse, sexual abuse, racism) that many young people around the world face, compounded by Rowan's status as a trans boy. Bean's debut novel for young readers is as difficult as it is hopeful, beautifully captured through a 10-year-old voice. A remarkable and memorable book! Grades 5-8. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
A 10-year-old transgender boy sends letters via balloon, hoping someone out there will read them. It's 1997, and Rowan is starting fifth grade. He knows he's a boy, but no one else understands. He called a girl "cute" during truth or dare, and now he's a social pariah. His dad comes into his room at night, but he's not ready to talk about that yet. He's sorry for being weird. Bean vividly and sensitively captures the struggle of being a child who just can't fit in and doesn't understand why. It is an authentic portrayal of childhood pain without an ounce of condescension. Over the course of the school year, Rowan, who is presumed to be white, and his new best friend Sofie, who appears to be black, struggle to make sense of what is right and wrong, good and bad in their working-class Michigan world. While the book tackles big issues, primarily addressing being trans and queer and surviving incest as well as touching on parental incarceration, anyone who has ever been a sad or confused child will be able to see a little bit of themselves in Rowan and Sofie. And if the autho r leans a bit heavily on the unnecessary crutch of '90s references, at least it increases the book's appeal for both young retro-enthusiasts and nostalgic adults—and this is one of those rare middle-grade books with real adult appeal. Everyone should read this remarkable, affecting novel. (author's note, resources, acknowledgements) (Historical fiction. 10-14, adult) Copyright Kirkus 2020 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
