Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart

Honestly, not what I expected. I expected a sweet story with a lot of heart following two close friends. Yes, it is sweet, yes, it has a lot of heart. But, instead of a tight knit relationship between two friends, we get a story about two diverse individuals whose paths cross, but each are dealing with their issues independently.

Lily McGrother, a 12 year old transgender, is concerned about puberty, getting hormone blockers to limit the effects of testosterone, a father that is not accepting, and dealing with bullying at school. She has the support of her mother, sister and a good friend. Her father on the other hand, is worried about the way she will be treated by an ignorant unforgiving world, and to be safe, would prefer Lily to be her former self, Timothy.

Norbert Dorfman just moved to Florida from New Jersey because his father has been institutionalized. He and his mother have moved in with his fitness/health nut grandmother. He loves Dunkin Donuts, and happily takes on the nickname Dunkin, hating the name Norbert. Going to a new school, Dunkin just wants to fit in. He is very tall and lanky for his age, and when the basketball team approaches him to become their secret weapon, he can't refuse. The issue is, he is an uncoordinated mess and has never played basketball.  He is on medication to stabilize him emotionally, but the meds bring down his energy, getting in the way of basketball.

Lily is bullied by Vasquez, a basketball star at school. Dunkin has been recruited by Vasquez, and doesn't want to disappoint him, as Vasquez provides Dunkin an opportunity to fit in. Lily and Dunkin cross paths occasionally. Lily would like to have Dunkin as a friend, while Dunkin would like to be friends, but is conflicted because of pressure from Vasquez.

There is much conflict for Lily and Dunkin, both internally and externally. The story is told in alternating voices of Lily and Dunkin. There are a few unexpected twists, some humor, and some tears. The characters are endearing, but it is the warmth and love with which the story is told that will instantly connect you to Lily and Dunkin.

Mark's Book Picks Score: 5

Reading Level: 4.3 • Interest Level: 5-9 • AR Points: 11 • Lexile Level: 680 • Publisher: Random House• Pages: 338 • Copyright: 2018 • ISBN: 978-0-533-53677-5 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding

CYRM 2020/21 Nominee, Middle School