Nonbinary: not relating to, composed of, or involving just two things. What I do remember is the immediate connection I felt to its definition: Maybe I read an interview online or it came up in a casual conversation. I can’t remember the first time I heard the word nonbinary.

So I waited, and I hoped my feelings would change on a similar trajectory with my body. Their advice was well-meaning and, I suspect, a truth for many folks who’ve pursued this particular avenue of transition. “It’ll happen, especially when strangers stop misgendering you.” “Give it time,” my friends who’d been on testosterone (T) longer encouraged me. Then, a slight hesitation before I admitted, “honestly, I’m not even sure I feel like a man at this point.” Just the same, I found myself shrugging when a friend jokingly asked if, two injections into my transition, I’d noticed any physical changes yet.

Finally, I could focus on living my life rather than on coming out to everyone and the emotional labor that entailed. I was surrounded by friends who’d supported me as I navigated both my social and medical transition. It was unusually warm for a July in San Francisco, and the outing felt festive, reminiscent of a Pride Month weekend just a few weeks earlier. And pronouns? He, him, and his, because I’m a guy, obviously. I’d recently come out as trans and chosen a name that has stayed with me to this day: Andrew. And with a major competition approaching, Ana must decide whether telling everyone the truth is worth risking years of hard work and sacrifice.īuy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N | IndieBoundĪ month after I started hormone replacement therapy, my friends threw me a “T-party” in San Francisco’s Dolores Park. As their friendship develops, Ana realizes that it’s tricky juggling two different identities on one slippery sheet of ice. And when Hayden mistakes Ana for a boy, Ana doesn’t correct him and finds comfort in this boyish identity when he’s around. Once Ana meets Hayden, a transgender boy new to the rink, thoughts about the princess program and gender identity begin to take center stage. Still, Ana tries to focus on training and putting together a stellar routine worthy of national success. So, when Ana learns that next season’s program will be princess themed, doubt forms fast. Twelve-year-old Ana-Marie Jin, the reigning US Juvenile figure skating champion, is not a frilly dress kind of kid. Here’s a little more about the book:įor fans of George and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, a heartfelt coming of age story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world. Sass, author of the groundbreaking middle grade contemporary Ana on the Edge, which releases today from Little, Brown Young Readers. Today on the site I am so excited to be welcoming A.J.

Aj sass