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Answers in the Pages
A bold, timely novel about speaking up and coming out as parents lobby to ban a beloved book from the school curriculum by New York Times-bestselling author David Levithan.
When Donovan left his copy of The Adventurers on the kitchen counter, he didn't think his mom would read it--much less have a problem with it. It's just an adventure novel about two characters trying to stop an evil genius...right?
But soon the entire town is freaking out about whether the book's main characters are gay, Donovan's mom is trying to get the book removed from the school curriculum, and Donovan is caught in the middle.
Donovan doesn't really know if the two boys fall in love at the end or not--but he does know this: even if they do, it shouldn't matter. The book should not be banned from school.
Interweaving three connected storylines, David Levithan delivers a bold, fun, and timely story about taking action (whether it's against book censors or deadly alligators...), being brave, and standing up for what's right.
4 hours 13 minutes
When Donovan left his copy of The Adventurers on the kitchen counter, he didn't think his mom would read it--much less have a problem with it. It's just an adventure novel about two characters trying to stop an evil genius...right?
But soon the entire town is freaking out about whether the book's main characters are gay, Donovan's mom is trying to get the book removed from the school curriculum, and Donovan is caught in the middle.
Donovan doesn't really know if the two boys fall in love at the end or not--but he does know this: even if they do, it shouldn't matter. The book should not be banned from school.
Interweaving three connected storylines, David Levithan delivers a bold, fun, and timely story about taking action (whether it's against book censors or deadly alligators...), being brave, and standing up for what's right.
4 hours 13 minutes
5 pages, Audiobook
First published May 10, 2022
98 people are currently reading
5212 people want to read
About the author
David Levithan
118 books19.4k followersDavid Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,018 reviews
May 12, 2022
Wow! A marvelous, timely middle-grade novel about book banning in public school. Eerily similar to recent headlines, although handled with tact and grace. The central dilemma is an adventure novel taught to 5th graders. A mom reads the last sentence of the book which has a male kid expressing "love" for another male kid. She interprets the characters as gay and leads the town into a frenzy over what is "appropriate" to be taught to children.
Although it's clear that Levithan is arguing against banning books—particularly when it is due to the mere presence of a potentially gay character—he also characterizes the argumentative mom as loving, even if misguided. He legitimizes the processes in place for challenging school content, which I think is important. Yes, sometimes challenges are ridiculous, even guided by homophobia and/or racism, but not always. There have been instances of classroom lessons on how Trump won the 2020 election, for example. It's only a matter of time before a teacher assigns the political musings of Mike Lindell as required reading. Parents absolutely have a right to voice concern, and those concerns should be handled precisely as they are handled in this novel. With both sides given the chance to speak and a committee from the school given final say.
Some important lessons from this novel include: Even when your parents act irrational, know that it comes from a place of deep love and desire for your well-being. Sometimes your parents will be wrong and it's important to be able to make your own decisions. The best way to handle important topics is through conversation, not censorship. For parents, it is a reminder that your children have a much broader understanding of the world than you think. Talk to them. Also, don't let your own baggage harm the progress of today's generation.
With so much to learn, I would recommend this book to both young readers and adults. It is hard to imagine a more poignant and fair examination of this topic. Even better, it's free of political bickering spurred on by an election year. You can never go wrong with David Levithan, and this is right up there with his best work.
Although it's clear that Levithan is arguing against banning books—particularly when it is due to the mere presence of a potentially gay character—he also characterizes the argumentative mom as loving, even if misguided. He legitimizes the processes in place for challenging school content, which I think is important. Yes, sometimes challenges are ridiculous, even guided by homophobia and/or racism, but not always. There have been instances of classroom lessons on how Trump won the 2020 election, for example. It's only a matter of time before a teacher assigns the political musings of Mike Lindell as required reading. Parents absolutely have a right to voice concern, and those concerns should be handled precisely as they are handled in this novel. With both sides given the chance to speak and a committee from the school given final say.
Some important lessons from this novel include: Even when your parents act irrational, know that it comes from a place of deep love and desire for your well-being. Sometimes your parents will be wrong and it's important to be able to make your own decisions. The best way to handle important topics is through conversation, not censorship. For parents, it is a reminder that your children have a much broader understanding of the world than you think. Talk to them. Also, don't let your own baggage harm the progress of today's generation.
With so much to learn, I would recommend this book to both young readers and adults. It is hard to imagine a more poignant and fair examination of this topic. Even better, it's free of political bickering spurred on by an election year. You can never go wrong with David Levithan, and this is right up there with his best work.
September 20, 2022
"We are who we are, and we'll be who we'll be. A book can make us feel that, but it can't invent that. It's already inside us."
°•*⁀➷
I know this is long... but I can promise it is worth the read.
I think the most powerful part of this story for me was when Donovan told his Mom, "I know you're on my side, just not this one time. This one time you thought you were on my side, but you got it wrong." And then thought to himself that his outrage was quieter. I love the simple acknowledgement that he knows what his Mom was trying to do, but he didn't agree with it. This is such a perfect book that I hope in the future will be used to show parents exactly like Donovan's Mom that things need to change as the world around us does. The things we need to learn need to change as different things come to light. Our children need to learn what we didn't always have the opportunity to.
I love that the teacher who assigned the book, Mr. Howe, said, "I am saying this as a human being who believes that all human beings should be treated with respect." I love that he said, "While the meaning of a book may be informed by the author's intentions, it isn't defined by them. Meaning comes from the combination of what the author puts in, and what the reader takes out." There are just too many quotes in this book to stick to one. There are too many that so many people need to hear. Need to understand, and recognize.
"When you're not ready to understand something, you become afraid of it." And people should never, ever be afraid of a book. Because as Mr. Howe said, an author can only write a book, the reader takes what they want from it. Not the other way around. Interpretation is the best part of being a reader. And probably my favorite thing he said is, "This should not be a matter of debate because a person's humanity should never be a matter of debate." I had a teacher like this in seventh grade that I loved with all of my heart. That stood up for my voice when I didn't yet feel like I had one. I hope you had a Mr. Howe when you were growing up, and if you didn't, I hope you can feel the support you should have had within these pages.
I wish I could quote every single word David Levithan wrote in this story, but that would defeat the purpose of getting you to read it. So please, please read it. See how many more incredible quotes there are that I wish I could write out for you here. See how special it is to be a middle grade student and have a teacher stand up for you. See how inspiring it is to see someone stand up for themselves in such a kind way. See what it looks like to be truly brave. See how important it is to hear, "Being ready is our choice, not yours" when something as small as a book being taken out of a teacher's classroom becomes so big.
Most importantly, I love that Donovan takes his teacher's words to heart and tells his mother the quote I decided to use for this story at the end. I love that through this book we watch him go on his own journey of figuring out who he is. That we see him struggle with what he already knows about his Mom, and what he sees in the acceptance of his peers. I love that he tells his Mom he loves this book and he's glad his teacher gave it to him, not because two boys may or may not fall in love, but because of the adventure and the way it made him feel.
I love that this book is understanding of the opposing side while also pushing for the change that needs to occur everywhere. Not just at school. I love absolutely every word of this book from start to finish. I can only wonder how special it would be if middle grade teachers would bring this into their curriculum.
Who knows, maybe I won't always have to wonder?
And finally, the addition of the turtles made my heart burst. When I love a book, it becomes the most important thing in the world to me. I think about it constantly and wish I could have just one more thing in common with it. But this one, I already have the most important thing in common with. Turtles have been my favorite animal for as long as I can remember, and when one boy asked another boy why he loved them and the first responded with, "I like that they carry their homes with them" I have never felt more of a kindred spirit. There's such safety in carrying your home with you, which is why I always have a book with me. And that's how turtles have always felt for me, too.
I love that the cover has turtles on it. I love that Gideon has 84 turtles. I love that Gideon and Roberto take Samson (the turtle) on a walk. I love this book. And to quote David Levithan one more time, "He didn't need to rearrange any of the letters, they were all in the right place." I hope you'll read this book and understand why that is so significant.
Three storylines somehow becoming one in one of the most special books I'll ever read. I can't wait for you to find out what the three storylines are. I hope you can hear how much I love Answers in the Pages in everything I wrote. And I hope you'll pick it up one day and it'll be just as important to you and any little human that might rely on you to teach them about the world.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
I know this is long... but I can promise it is worth the read.
I think the most powerful part of this story for me was when Donovan told his Mom, "I know you're on my side, just not this one time. This one time you thought you were on my side, but you got it wrong." And then thought to himself that his outrage was quieter. I love the simple acknowledgement that he knows what his Mom was trying to do, but he didn't agree with it. This is such a perfect book that I hope in the future will be used to show parents exactly like Donovan's Mom that things need to change as the world around us does. The things we need to learn need to change as different things come to light. Our children need to learn what we didn't always have the opportunity to.
I love that the teacher who assigned the book, Mr. Howe, said, "I am saying this as a human being who believes that all human beings should be treated with respect." I love that he said, "While the meaning of a book may be informed by the author's intentions, it isn't defined by them. Meaning comes from the combination of what the author puts in, and what the reader takes out." There are just too many quotes in this book to stick to one. There are too many that so many people need to hear. Need to understand, and recognize.
"When you're not ready to understand something, you become afraid of it." And people should never, ever be afraid of a book. Because as Mr. Howe said, an author can only write a book, the reader takes what they want from it. Not the other way around. Interpretation is the best part of being a reader. And probably my favorite thing he said is, "This should not be a matter of debate because a person's humanity should never be a matter of debate." I had a teacher like this in seventh grade that I loved with all of my heart. That stood up for my voice when I didn't yet feel like I had one. I hope you had a Mr. Howe when you were growing up, and if you didn't, I hope you can feel the support you should have had within these pages.
I wish I could quote every single word David Levithan wrote in this story, but that would defeat the purpose of getting you to read it. So please, please read it. See how many more incredible quotes there are that I wish I could write out for you here. See how special it is to be a middle grade student and have a teacher stand up for you. See how inspiring it is to see someone stand up for themselves in such a kind way. See what it looks like to be truly brave. See how important it is to hear, "Being ready is our choice, not yours" when something as small as a book being taken out of a teacher's classroom becomes so big.
Most importantly, I love that Donovan takes his teacher's words to heart and tells his mother the quote I decided to use for this story at the end. I love that through this book we watch him go on his own journey of figuring out who he is. That we see him struggle with what he already knows about his Mom, and what he sees in the acceptance of his peers. I love that he tells his Mom he loves this book and he's glad his teacher gave it to him, not because two boys may or may not fall in love, but because of the adventure and the way it made him feel.
I love that this book is understanding of the opposing side while also pushing for the change that needs to occur everywhere. Not just at school. I love absolutely every word of this book from start to finish. I can only wonder how special it would be if middle grade teachers would bring this into their curriculum.
Who knows, maybe I won't always have to wonder?
And finally, the addition of the turtles made my heart burst. When I love a book, it becomes the most important thing in the world to me. I think about it constantly and wish I could have just one more thing in common with it. But this one, I already have the most important thing in common with. Turtles have been my favorite animal for as long as I can remember, and when one boy asked another boy why he loved them and the first responded with, "I like that they carry their homes with them" I have never felt more of a kindred spirit. There's such safety in carrying your home with you, which is why I always have a book with me. And that's how turtles have always felt for me, too.
I love that the cover has turtles on it. I love that Gideon has 84 turtles. I love that Gideon and Roberto take Samson (the turtle) on a walk. I love this book. And to quote David Levithan one more time, "He didn't need to rearrange any of the letters, they were all in the right place." I hope you'll read this book and understand why that is so significant.
Three storylines somehow becoming one in one of the most special books I'll ever read. I can't wait for you to find out what the three storylines are. I hope you can hear how much I love Answers in the Pages in everything I wrote. And I hope you'll pick it up one day and it'll be just as important to you and any little human that might rely on you to teach them about the world.
- Paige
September 29, 2025
Less than 48 hours ago, this book was donated to my Little Free Library Shed. I was intrigued. Being a short book, I began reading. I didn’t stop. I just closed the book, and I am feeling every moment of it.
I want to talk about it with you. I would love to hear your thoughts below.
Interestingly enough this book is meant for middle-school aged children.
Premise: It is an attempt by parents to have the book, “The Adventurers” removed from a fifth-grade curriculum because of the ending sentence in the book, which one of the parents discovers. This sentence reads as follows:
“At that moment Rick knew just how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew just how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.”
This is a powerful and realistic book.
It portrays the forces that battle to determine and control the novels and topics that some people feel are appropriate for young people to read, as opposed to trusting the wisdom of teachers.
Those conflicts have always existed, but this author showcases the debate – between parents, students, the school board, and teacher. And even allows the “author” to bear witness to it all, as well.
It exposes the pitfalls of championing a cause based on what is best for “others,” showing that such crusades tend to marginalize whole groups of people in the process.
As readers, we see a far-fetched misinterpretation of how a few pages unleashes a town’s misunderstanding about and lack of acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community. And, like many instances in real life, the young people of this story are the most measured, reasoned, accepting and helpful voices.
Young voices should be part of the discussion. Their perspective is relevant. It resonates even more now, because they deserve to have the opportunity to be fully educated and not be denied the opportunity to learn.
Mr. Howe (a character in the book), their teacher (who identified as gay), had the opportunity to speak at the school board meeting, and gave a very moving speech during his allotted 3 minutes.
“Well. Let me be the first to say it tonight: There is nothing ‘inappropriate’ about being gay… There is nothing sinful about it. There is nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing about being queer that deserves censorship rather than expression. Nothing. This should not be a matter of debate, because a person’s humanity should never be a matter of debate. Instead, it is a matter of the highest principle we can aspire to, which is equality. …In challenging a book, they (his parents) would have been trying to turn off a tap, when who I am is actually an ocean…But even if you pull all the queer books from our class, even if you could manage to somehow pull all the queer books from this town, I guarantee you, you will not stop us from being who we are. The worst damage you can do is to make the more vulnerable of us feel bad about it. But you cannot hold back the ocean. The ocean will not be contained in such a way.” (Page 146-147)
In this book, the kids and teacher won over the town. But in towns across our nation, this is not what we are seeing happening.
Books are being banned in such a way that even librarians and teachers have to get parent’s permission for what books can either be put in the libraries or taught in the classrooms.
My personal thoughts…
As a college educated individual, I also spent many years honing my craft at teaching. Beyond my Master’s degree, I also got a specialized certificate from Harvard University in Program Development to enhance my teaching experiences. I was proud of what I could bring to my classroom. I don’t know if I could ever live under the edicts of a DeSantis or parents suddenly questioning some of the Dr. Suess books, I was using to instill creativity in my students. Let alone the sensitive issues we were discussing from a peer counseling perspective.
Books teach. This is a beautiful teaching book. And the message of trusting teachers, is a good one. (Bias intended.)
Also…People need to be allowed to be who they are – and we should be allowed to read about them – at any age. So that we can appreciate and understand differences.
We need to honor and embrace and accept each other.
And the sooner we can do that – the sooner children can learn and grow and love themselves as they are.
I want to talk about it with you. I would love to hear your thoughts below.
Interestingly enough this book is meant for middle-school aged children.
Premise: It is an attempt by parents to have the book, “The Adventurers” removed from a fifth-grade curriculum because of the ending sentence in the book, which one of the parents discovers. This sentence reads as follows:
“At that moment Rick knew just how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew just how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.”
This is a powerful and realistic book.
It portrays the forces that battle to determine and control the novels and topics that some people feel are appropriate for young people to read, as opposed to trusting the wisdom of teachers.
Those conflicts have always existed, but this author showcases the debate – between parents, students, the school board, and teacher. And even allows the “author” to bear witness to it all, as well.
It exposes the pitfalls of championing a cause based on what is best for “others,” showing that such crusades tend to marginalize whole groups of people in the process.
As readers, we see a far-fetched misinterpretation of how a few pages unleashes a town’s misunderstanding about and lack of acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community. And, like many instances in real life, the young people of this story are the most measured, reasoned, accepting and helpful voices.
Young voices should be part of the discussion. Their perspective is relevant. It resonates even more now, because they deserve to have the opportunity to be fully educated and not be denied the opportunity to learn.
Mr. Howe (a character in the book), their teacher (who identified as gay), had the opportunity to speak at the school board meeting, and gave a very moving speech during his allotted 3 minutes.
“Well. Let me be the first to say it tonight: There is nothing ‘inappropriate’ about being gay… There is nothing sinful about it. There is nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing about being queer that deserves censorship rather than expression. Nothing. This should not be a matter of debate, because a person’s humanity should never be a matter of debate. Instead, it is a matter of the highest principle we can aspire to, which is equality. …In challenging a book, they (his parents) would have been trying to turn off a tap, when who I am is actually an ocean…But even if you pull all the queer books from our class, even if you could manage to somehow pull all the queer books from this town, I guarantee you, you will not stop us from being who we are. The worst damage you can do is to make the more vulnerable of us feel bad about it. But you cannot hold back the ocean. The ocean will not be contained in such a way.” (Page 146-147)
In this book, the kids and teacher won over the town. But in towns across our nation, this is not what we are seeing happening.
Books are being banned in such a way that even librarians and teachers have to get parent’s permission for what books can either be put in the libraries or taught in the classrooms.
My personal thoughts…
As a college educated individual, I also spent many years honing my craft at teaching. Beyond my Master’s degree, I also got a specialized certificate from Harvard University in Program Development to enhance my teaching experiences. I was proud of what I could bring to my classroom. I don’t know if I could ever live under the edicts of a DeSantis or parents suddenly questioning some of the Dr. Suess books, I was using to instill creativity in my students. Let alone the sensitive issues we were discussing from a peer counseling perspective.
Books teach. This is a beautiful teaching book. And the message of trusting teachers, is a good one. (Bias intended.)
Also…People need to be allowed to be who they are – and we should be allowed to read about them – at any age. So that we can appreciate and understand differences.
We need to honor and embrace and accept each other.
And the sooner we can do that – the sooner children can learn and grow and love themselves as they are.
October 16, 2022
I'm in awe of David Levithan authoring this book. It's fantastic. It's a middle grade book with some big ideas. There are three stories told in this book. I knew one of them would come around in the end and I wasn't sure how it would be done. It was a wonderful surprise.
My Niece is reading this book. She showed it to me and asked me to read it so we could discuss it. Of course I had to read it. It took me a few hours to read. It's a great book for 5th grade readers and adults. The theme of the book is that we all need choices in what we read, who we love, not less. This is about a class that is reading a book with what turns out to be gay characters on the last page that sets off a book ban from parents. The students have to navigate all this weirdness. We get chapters from the book they want to ban, what happens in the classroom and another very sweet story.
I can't wait to see what my niece thinks of this. I know she liked the story and encouraged me to read it. It's very sweet and so well told. I want to own this book. I want to give away little as it's a wonderful reading experience. I hope people will pick this up. It's been awhile since I read David Levithan and now I want to read another book by him. I loved the roller coaster ride this book had me on. I am so thankful to my niece for getting me to read this book! I might share some of her thoughts if she is okay with that after we discuss the book. I plan to mostly listen to her.
My Niece is reading this book. She showed it to me and asked me to read it so we could discuss it. Of course I had to read it. It took me a few hours to read. It's a great book for 5th grade readers and adults. The theme of the book is that we all need choices in what we read, who we love, not less. This is about a class that is reading a book with what turns out to be gay characters on the last page that sets off a book ban from parents. The students have to navigate all this weirdness. We get chapters from the book they want to ban, what happens in the classroom and another very sweet story.
I can't wait to see what my niece thinks of this. I know she liked the story and encouraged me to read it. It's very sweet and so well told. I want to own this book. I want to give away little as it's a wonderful reading experience. I hope people will pick this up. It's been awhile since I read David Levithan and now I want to read another book by him. I loved the roller coaster ride this book had me on. I am so thankful to my niece for getting me to read this book! I might share some of her thoughts if she is okay with that after we discuss the book. I plan to mostly listen to her.
January 26, 2023
David Levithan is a brilliant ‘young-adult’ author. Every book I’ve read by him has been moving - honoring human differences- gay or straight for all ages.
In “answers in the pages”….Levithan interlinks three plots with unifying themes and powerful humanitarian messages (self identify - prejudices - truth - acceptance - love)….
Levithan did an outstanding job portraying book-banning viewpoints from parents, teachers, students, and the entire community….
This is absolutely appropriate for middle school readers….
I loved the characters, the conversations explored, the book-within-a-book-stories themselves, the warmth, the humor, the inspiration from self-expression, and inspiration from a willingness to ‘get-off-a-rigid-point-of-view’ ….a willingness to acknowledge…’maybe I was wrong’ point of view…..and Levithan’s larger-purpose-at-hand. We need more books and more love…..not less of either.
The nonsense of book-banning is ridiculous.
Terrific! …..”whose hungry?”……
In “answers in the pages”….Levithan interlinks three plots with unifying themes and powerful humanitarian messages (self identify - prejudices - truth - acceptance - love)….
Levithan did an outstanding job portraying book-banning viewpoints from parents, teachers, students, and the entire community….
This is absolutely appropriate for middle school readers….
I loved the characters, the conversations explored, the book-within-a-book-stories themselves, the warmth, the humor, the inspiration from self-expression, and inspiration from a willingness to ‘get-off-a-rigid-point-of-view’ ….a willingness to acknowledge…’maybe I was wrong’ point of view…..and Levithan’s larger-purpose-at-hand. We need more books and more love…..not less of either.
The nonsense of book-banning is ridiculous.
Terrific! …..”whose hungry?”……
January 22, 2023
"And there's even a gay kid in my class."
"No, there isn't," Mom said.
"Yes, there is," I said. "How can you say 'No, there isn't'? That makes no sense."
"Nobody your age can know what he or she is. You're too young. You can decide those things later, but not now." pg. 122
I thought this was a great book. I'll be reviewing it as an adult with the added caveat that people who want to ban books make me froth at the mouth, so...
The book is aimed at elementary school children, it stars 12-year-olds who are in 5th grade, for context. I always aim a little younger, I think kids are advanced faster than people realize, so I would be assuming 4th and 5th graders are reading this.
The book revolves around three plots.
1.) Mr. Howe's fifth-grade class is assigned to read THE ADVENTURERS. MC Donovan innocently takes it home and reads a few pages before going to watch TV. His mother picks it up and that's when everything goes to hell. His mom is someone who is often talked about in a slur now, meaning a woman who complains about everything and nitpicks everything and always wants to talk to a manager.
The truth was, my mother had spent far more time in the principal's office than I had. Sometimes it was just for meetings - whenever there was a committee or a task force for parents, Mom would volunteer. But other times, she went to the principal's office because she felt it was her job to tell her what the school could be doing better. The cafeteria food could be more nutritious. The holiday concert could contain some holiday music instead of songs from the radio. A committee could be formed to fundraise for the new jungle gym because the one we climbed on at recess looked like it was about to topple. pg. 24
The book THE ADVENTURERS is pretty innocuous. It's a rather boringly-plotted (from a grownup point of view) book about kid spies. There are two boys and one girl. They go on missions, defeat bad guys, wrestle alligators etc. etc. Donovan's mom's whole objection is pretty much the last sentence of the book:
At that moment Rick knew just how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew just how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.
Because of this, she believes that the book (and Donovan's teacher, Mr. Howe, who is gay) is pushing a gay agenda and is trying to 'turn kids gay.' She calls up a whole bunch of parents and tries to get the book banned. Poor Donovan tries to deal with the fallout of having a mom like this at school.
2.) Chapters excerpted from THE ADVENTURERS. The least interesting part of the novel IMO, and I'm saying that as an adult.
3.) Chapters about Gideon, who has a new boy transfer to his class. The new boy is named Roberto, and Gideon desperately wants to be his friend.
Only, it felt different.
He wanted Roberto's friendship in a way he didn't feel he'd wanted any of the others'. pg. 77
...
I really liked the book, but that could be because book-banning makes me rabid and these book-banners are everywhere nowadays. And they are so fucking stupid. *seethes* Don't get me started.
ANYWAY.
The book carefully lays out intelligent, adult arguments about books. Such as, a book is not going to turn your kid gay.
"Do you think my mom thinks I'm gay?" I asked. pg. 99
Donovan asks Mr. Howe this incredulously. As far as he can tell, he's straight.
His relationship with his mom is carefully avoidant. Although his mom is rallying an entire 'army' to try and get this book banned, she never ever discusses it with her child. As soon as Donovan figures out what she is doing, he gets another copy of the book from the school library and reads it cover-to-cover (his mom confiscated the book he was issued in class). The other kids in his class are doing the same thing - frantically reading the book so as to find out what the big deal is. Then they argue about if the characters are gay. Their teacher says it doesn't matter. The kids still want to hash it out.
"It doesn't matter whether they are or not... but Rick and Oliver are definitely gay," Allison said.
"It's not DEFINITE," Sean said. His parents had let him bring back the book himself.
"I wasn't sure at first," Luther said. "But, yeah, by the end - so gay."
"But what about Melody?" Patience asked. "Don't you think they're both crushing on Melody?"
"There's a difference between flirting and crushing," Kira said.
"I think Rick loves her," Tarah said quietly.
"I think Rick loves Oliver," Amelia countered.
"I think the point of the book is that the Adventurers need to stop McAllister from unleashing his evil on the world through the Doomsday Code," Jeffrey put in. "I don't think Rick and Oliver are in love or not in love. I think they're friends and, most importantly, Adventurers. You guys just don't understand the Adventurers' mission AT ALL."
Allison and some others looked skeptical, so I said, "C'mon - you have to admit, Jeffrey has a point. If this were a week ago, we'd all be talking about the action scenes. And yes, Patience, maybe about which of the boys Melody likes more. The only reason we're talking about whether or not Rick and Oliver are gay is because we were told that was part of it before we had a chance to read it."
I didn't even realize the trap I'd walked into until Curtis said, "Yeah, Donovan. And whose fault is that? Who decided to pull the books out of our hands before any of us had a chance to read it?"
"That's not fair," Allison said. "It's not his fault that his mom... did what she did."
Curtis looked me in the eye. "How do we know it wasn't you who went crying to your mommy, complaining that the book was going to make him gay?"
"That's not what happened, I said quickly. "She took it off the kitchen counter and read the ending while I was watching TV."
Curtis looked satisfied by this explanation. Then he said, "Good. Because I happen to know that the author of this book must be gay, and Rick and Oliver must be gay too. Because I'm gay, and I know what he's talking about."
This was news to all of us. pg. 64
This cracked me up, this is exactly what a kid would say and exactly the hype train that a kid would ride to come out with maximum drama and street cred.
In case you are wondering, Levithan plays this book pretty soft. Although Donovan's mom's book banning efforts DO draw the attention of gay-haters who show up at the school board meeting spouting disgusting rhetoric about homosexuality being a sin, overall people are pretty kind. No kids in the class, for example, ostracize Curtis for declaring himself gay or call him slurs for it. I found this unbelievable, and anyone who has been on a public school playground for ten minutes will undoubtedly agree with me. No kids side with Donovan's mom and suggest she's right for banning a book based on the fact that it might feature a boy having feelings for another boy. Which is incredible - I'm sure some of these kids are being raised in bigoted households.
The chapters revolving around Gideon and Roberto falling in love (or whatever the 12-year-old version of this is) are very sweet. Their relationship is pretty adorable and even though Gideon's parents would probably not allow them to see each other, they find refuge in Roberto's mom who is kind to the boys and seems okay with her son being gay.
Also, Donovan (when he finally works up the courage to talk to his mom about the elephant in the room) says he already knows about gay people because, for example, his teacher is a gay man and his little friend has lesbian parents. And etc. IRL, of course, he would know about gay people and gay sexual acts (in as negative a light as possible) from what kids say to each other on the school bus and playground. 12 is even too old. You wouldn't believe the shit that comes out of 9-year-olds' mouths. If you are a parent and you think your kid is still totally ignorant as to anything but the straight no-sex-before-marriage utopia you have presented to them, I have bad news for you. Even before the invention of the Internet, this was not true. Schoolyard 'education' takes care of that pretty quickly.
But Levithan plays softball here. On a whole, the kids are nice. On a whole, even the fucking book-banners are revolted when the rabid gay-haters show up spewing shit at the school board meeting. On a whole, being a gay kid is presented as something that will be kindly accepted by your classmates, and you will be treated well. This isn't REALISTIC, but since it's kid's fiction I'm going to give it a pass. Might as well enjoy it and enjoy this rather sunny portrayal of gay acceptance.
Not to say we haven't made progress, we have. I don't know if anyone remembers the horror that was the '90s. Things are better. Still not good, and we seem to be regressing in this 'burn books like it's 1933' recent uprising and 'all gay people are pedophiles' idea which I thought we had gotten over after the 1960s. It's honestly baffling to me.
The book has twists! Kids might be interested in figuring out the twists. I liked them.
TL;DR So glad I read this book, I really enjoyed it. Not sure how much appreciation it will get from 4th and 5th graders, though. As an adult I was intensely interested, perhaps since book banning engulfs me in rage. I also thought the thread about the two kids meeting and crushing on each other was pretty sweet and cute. The only part I could have skipped were the chapters lifted from the controversial book THE ADVENTURERS. Just sounded like run-of-the-mill children's lit that I had no interest in.
Not sure how to advise you on if kids will love this or not, but if you are an adult and thinking of picking this up, have a go. It's very relevant. It also has some twists, for fun.
RELATED MATERIALS:
Our Missing Hearts
by Celeste Ng
NAMES IN THIS BOOK
"No, there isn't," Mom said.
"Yes, there is," I said. "How can you say 'No, there isn't'? That makes no sense."
"Nobody your age can know what he or she is. You're too young. You can decide those things later, but not now." pg. 122
I thought this was a great book. I'll be reviewing it as an adult with the added caveat that people who want to ban books make me froth at the mouth, so...
The book is aimed at elementary school children, it stars 12-year-olds who are in 5th grade, for context. I always aim a little younger, I think kids are advanced faster than people realize, so I would be assuming 4th and 5th graders are reading this.
The book revolves around three plots.
1.) Mr. Howe's fifth-grade class is assigned to read THE ADVENTURERS. MC Donovan innocently takes it home and reads a few pages before going to watch TV. His mother picks it up and that's when everything goes to hell. His mom is someone who is often talked about in a slur now, meaning a woman who complains about everything and nitpicks everything and always wants to talk to a manager.
The truth was, my mother had spent far more time in the principal's office than I had. Sometimes it was just for meetings - whenever there was a committee or a task force for parents, Mom would volunteer. But other times, she went to the principal's office because she felt it was her job to tell her what the school could be doing better. The cafeteria food could be more nutritious. The holiday concert could contain some holiday music instead of songs from the radio. A committee could be formed to fundraise for the new jungle gym because the one we climbed on at recess looked like it was about to topple. pg. 24
The book THE ADVENTURERS is pretty innocuous. It's a rather boringly-plotted (from a grownup point of view) book about kid spies. There are two boys and one girl. They go on missions, defeat bad guys, wrestle alligators etc. etc. Donovan's mom's whole objection is pretty much the last sentence of the book:
At that moment Rick knew just how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew just how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.
Because of this, she believes that the book (and Donovan's teacher, Mr. Howe, who is gay) is pushing a gay agenda and is trying to 'turn kids gay.' She calls up a whole bunch of parents and tries to get the book banned. Poor Donovan tries to deal with the fallout of having a mom like this at school.
2.) Chapters excerpted from THE ADVENTURERS. The least interesting part of the novel IMO, and I'm saying that as an adult.
3.) Chapters about Gideon, who has a new boy transfer to his class. The new boy is named Roberto, and Gideon desperately wants to be his friend.
Only, it felt different.
He wanted Roberto's friendship in a way he didn't feel he'd wanted any of the others'. pg. 77
...
I really liked the book, but that could be because book-banning makes me rabid and these book-banners are everywhere nowadays. And they are so fucking stupid. *seethes* Don't get me started.
ANYWAY.
The book carefully lays out intelligent, adult arguments about books. Such as, a book is not going to turn your kid gay.
"Do you think my mom thinks I'm gay?" I asked. pg. 99
Donovan asks Mr. Howe this incredulously. As far as he can tell, he's straight.
His relationship with his mom is carefully avoidant. Although his mom is rallying an entire 'army' to try and get this book banned, she never ever discusses it with her child. As soon as Donovan figures out what she is doing, he gets another copy of the book from the school library and reads it cover-to-cover (his mom confiscated the book he was issued in class). The other kids in his class are doing the same thing - frantically reading the book so as to find out what the big deal is. Then they argue about if the characters are gay. Their teacher says it doesn't matter. The kids still want to hash it out.
"It doesn't matter whether they are or not... but Rick and Oliver are definitely gay," Allison said.
"It's not DEFINITE," Sean said. His parents had let him bring back the book himself.
"I wasn't sure at first," Luther said. "But, yeah, by the end - so gay."
"But what about Melody?" Patience asked. "Don't you think they're both crushing on Melody?"
"There's a difference between flirting and crushing," Kira said.
"I think Rick loves her," Tarah said quietly.
"I think Rick loves Oliver," Amelia countered.
"I think the point of the book is that the Adventurers need to stop McAllister from unleashing his evil on the world through the Doomsday Code," Jeffrey put in. "I don't think Rick and Oliver are in love or not in love. I think they're friends and, most importantly, Adventurers. You guys just don't understand the Adventurers' mission AT ALL."
Allison and some others looked skeptical, so I said, "C'mon - you have to admit, Jeffrey has a point. If this were a week ago, we'd all be talking about the action scenes. And yes, Patience, maybe about which of the boys Melody likes more. The only reason we're talking about whether or not Rick and Oliver are gay is because we were told that was part of it before we had a chance to read it."
I didn't even realize the trap I'd walked into until Curtis said, "Yeah, Donovan. And whose fault is that? Who decided to pull the books out of our hands before any of us had a chance to read it?"
"That's not fair," Allison said. "It's not his fault that his mom... did what she did."
Curtis looked me in the eye. "How do we know it wasn't you who went crying to your mommy, complaining that the book was going to make him gay?"
"That's not what happened, I said quickly. "She took it off the kitchen counter and read the ending while I was watching TV."
Curtis looked satisfied by this explanation. Then he said, "Good. Because I happen to know that the author of this book must be gay, and Rick and Oliver must be gay too. Because I'm gay, and I know what he's talking about."
This was news to all of us. pg. 64
This cracked me up, this is exactly what a kid would say and exactly the hype train that a kid would ride to come out with maximum drama and street cred.
In case you are wondering, Levithan plays this book pretty soft. Although Donovan's mom's book banning efforts DO draw the attention of gay-haters who show up at the school board meeting spouting disgusting rhetoric about homosexuality being a sin, overall people are pretty kind. No kids in the class, for example, ostracize Curtis for declaring himself gay or call him slurs for it. I found this unbelievable, and anyone who has been on a public school playground for ten minutes will undoubtedly agree with me. No kids side with Donovan's mom and suggest she's right for banning a book based on the fact that it might feature a boy having feelings for another boy. Which is incredible - I'm sure some of these kids are being raised in bigoted households.
The chapters revolving around Gideon and Roberto falling in love (or whatever the 12-year-old version of this is) are very sweet. Their relationship is pretty adorable and even though Gideon's parents would probably not allow them to see each other, they find refuge in Roberto's mom who is kind to the boys and seems okay with her son being gay.
Also, Donovan (when he finally works up the courage to talk to his mom about the elephant in the room) says he already knows about gay people because, for example, his teacher is a gay man and his little friend has lesbian parents. And etc. IRL, of course, he would know about gay people and gay sexual acts (in as negative a light as possible) from what kids say to each other on the school bus and playground. 12 is even too old. You wouldn't believe the shit that comes out of 9-year-olds' mouths. If you are a parent and you think your kid is still totally ignorant as to anything but the straight no-sex-before-marriage utopia you have presented to them, I have bad news for you. Even before the invention of the Internet, this was not true. Schoolyard 'education' takes care of that pretty quickly.
But Levithan plays softball here. On a whole, the kids are nice. On a whole, even the fucking book-banners are revolted when the rabid gay-haters show up spewing shit at the school board meeting. On a whole, being a gay kid is presented as something that will be kindly accepted by your classmates, and you will be treated well. This isn't REALISTIC, but since it's kid's fiction I'm going to give it a pass. Might as well enjoy it and enjoy this rather sunny portrayal of gay acceptance.
Not to say we haven't made progress, we have. I don't know if anyone remembers the horror that was the '90s. Things are better. Still not good, and we seem to be regressing in this 'burn books like it's 1933' recent uprising and 'all gay people are pedophiles' idea which I thought we had gotten over after the 1960s. It's honestly baffling to me.
The book has twists! Kids might be interested in figuring out the twists. I liked them.
TL;DR So glad I read this book, I really enjoyed it. Not sure how much appreciation it will get from 4th and 5th graders, though. As an adult I was intensely interested, perhaps since book banning engulfs me in rage. I also thought the thread about the two kids meeting and crushing on each other was pretty sweet and cute. The only part I could have skipped were the chapters lifted from the controversial book THE ADVENTURERS. Just sounded like run-of-the-mill children's lit that I had no interest in.
Not sure how to advise you on if kids will love this or not, but if you are an adult and thinking of picking this up, have a go. It's very relevant. It also has some twists, for fun.
RELATED MATERIALS:
Our Missing Hearts
by Celeste NgNAMES IN THIS BOOK
July 1, 2022
Answers in the Pages is a gentle and warm book perfect for stirring discussion about book challenges and banning with middle school level readers. I especially appreciated the way that Levithan showed that the way forward is through conversation, even when they are difficult or need to be had multiple times.
This book is ideal for classroom settings and is also great for reading and discussing as a family. With three different storylines there will be something for every reader, and the way they tie together by the end is perfect. -Dominique A.
This book is ideal for classroom settings and is also great for reading and discussing as a family. With three different storylines there will be something for every reader, and the way they tie together by the end is perfect. -Dominique A.
April 27, 2022
I used to have a blog called The Boy Reader. Because of the blog I used to get boxes of books from publishers. I still get a few books every once in a while. Recently, I got a copy of Answers in the Pages by David Levithan. I am so glad I did. It is wonderful. So good that it is going to be my first read aloud next school year. Book censorship is hitting classes and schools hard. This book shows how easy it is to happen.
David Levithan normally writes for YA readers. I am thrilled that I get to share his writing with 5th graders.
David Levithan normally writes for YA readers. I am thrilled that I get to share his writing with 5th graders.
July 9, 2023
I found ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇs by David Levithan on the Libby app. Check for your local library on the app and read great books for free!📚
Thank you also to my goodreads friend, Karen, for recommending this great book💜
Based on the amount of nuance and genuine empathy I found in this book, I may not have guessed at first that it was written for kids, but it is a middlegrade novel. I decided to listen to the audiobook of this short novel, and this was a perfect form for this book, whose premise winds up introducing significant stakes. Any reader may want to, as I did thanks in part to the audiobook, binge this book and finish it all at once. Also worth noting, the talented cast of narrators brings this book to life.
In this story, a community reacts to one of the books assigned to its middlegrade children, based purely on its final line:
At that moment, Rick knew how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.
Already, I was engrossed in a story about a book, a powerful cultural artifact with many moving parts....
𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇs 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨, 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: 𝚑𝚝𝚝𝚙://𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚜𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜.𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚝.𝚌𝚘𝚖/𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹/𝟶𝟽/𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔-𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠-𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜-𝚒𝚗-𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜-𝚍𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍.𝚑𝚝𝚖𝚕
...In my opinion, in this age of book banning, high expectations for five-star-ratings, and book bullying for ratings and reviews and reading ideologies, I think everyone should read this book.
Rating: 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 / 5 slow turtles
Recommend? Please read this book
Finished: July 1 2023
Format: Audiobook, Libby
Read this book if you like:
👨👩👦 Middlegrade fiction
👩⚖️ Social justice in fiction
🐢 ASD rep
🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🪢 Meta fiction
Thank you also to my goodreads friend, Karen, for recommending this great book💜
Based on the amount of nuance and genuine empathy I found in this book, I may not have guessed at first that it was written for kids, but it is a middlegrade novel. I decided to listen to the audiobook of this short novel, and this was a perfect form for this book, whose premise winds up introducing significant stakes. Any reader may want to, as I did thanks in part to the audiobook, binge this book and finish it all at once. Also worth noting, the talented cast of narrators brings this book to life.
In this story, a community reacts to one of the books assigned to its middlegrade children, based purely on its final line:
At that moment, Rick knew how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.
Already, I was engrossed in a story about a book, a powerful cultural artifact with many moving parts....
𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇs 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨, 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: 𝚑𝚝𝚝𝚙://𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚜𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜.𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚝.𝚌𝚘𝚖/𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹/𝟶𝟽/𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔-𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠-𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜-𝚒𝚗-𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜-𝚍𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍.𝚑𝚝𝚖𝚕
...In my opinion, in this age of book banning, high expectations for five-star-ratings, and book bullying for ratings and reviews and reading ideologies, I think everyone should read this book.
Rating: 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 / 5 slow turtles
Recommend? Please read this book
Finished: July 1 2023
Format: Audiobook, Libby
Read this book if you like:
👨👩👦 Middlegrade fiction
👩⚖️ Social justice in fiction
🐢 ASD rep
🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🪢 Meta fiction
June 20, 2022
Definitely a required purchase for all elementary school libraries.
April 30, 2022
What an incredibly timely book! At a time when Florida has gone full homophobe with “Don’t Say Gay” laws, Texans bans hundreds and hundreds of books, and Tennessee lawmakers laud actual book burnings, here comes Answers in the Pages. I only wish I could give this middle-grade book six stars instead of the maximum five.
Fifth-grader Donovan Johnson’s mother begins a crusade — crusade being a most appropriate word — to ban a book called The Adventurers because the very ambiguous ending could be interpreted as the two male main characters possibly being romantically inclined. Shy Donovan feels trapped, as his classmates love the book and the gay teacher who assigned it. It would be too easy to give too much away, but let me just say that it’s not just tweens who will adore this novel. Kudos to author David Levithan for this amazing read!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
Fifth-grader Donovan Johnson’s mother begins a crusade — crusade being a most appropriate word — to ban a book called The Adventurers because the very ambiguous ending could be interpreted as the two male main characters possibly being romantically inclined. Shy Donovan feels trapped, as his classmates love the book and the gay teacher who assigned it. It would be too easy to give too much away, but let me just say that it’s not just tweens who will adore this novel. Kudos to author David Levithan for this amazing read!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2022
4.5 - This was such a timely story about book bannings, queer kids, and standing up for what is right. It was so close to being a perfect Middle Grade book.
The book has three stories throughout it. Donovan has been assigned a book by his fifth grade teacher, but his mom is trying to get the book banned from the classroom because she thinks the main characters are gay. Another boy, Gideon, is experiencing some new feelings when he gets close to a boy who has recently transferred to his school. And finally chapters of the The Adventurers, the book Donovan’s mom wants to ban, are sprinkled throughout.
I absolutely loved Donovan and Gideon’s chapters. The way their stories intertwine was so cool to see. I appreciated getting to see these young kids stand up for the books they wanted to be able to read and have conversations about why some people think The Adventurers is a “bad” book or the content is too mature. There were also some parts of Gideon’s chapters that were too precious for words.
The only parts I didn’t totally love were the chapters of the book within the book. Because it was only little excerpts, not enough was explained and I couldn’t care as deeply about those characters. But overall I LOVED this book. I definitely think that people who aren’t normally Middle Grade readers could get a lot out of it.
The book has three stories throughout it. Donovan has been assigned a book by his fifth grade teacher, but his mom is trying to get the book banned from the classroom because she thinks the main characters are gay. Another boy, Gideon, is experiencing some new feelings when he gets close to a boy who has recently transferred to his school. And finally chapters of the The Adventurers, the book Donovan’s mom wants to ban, are sprinkled throughout.
I absolutely loved Donovan and Gideon’s chapters. The way their stories intertwine was so cool to see. I appreciated getting to see these young kids stand up for the books they wanted to be able to read and have conversations about why some people think The Adventurers is a “bad” book or the content is too mature. There were also some parts of Gideon’s chapters that were too precious for words.
The only parts I didn’t totally love were the chapters of the book within the book. Because it was only little excerpts, not enough was explained and I couldn’t care as deeply about those characters. But overall I LOVED this book. I definitely think that people who aren’t normally Middle Grade readers could get a lot out of it.
October 26, 2022
answers in the pages is a very well done middle grade book that intertwines three stories. the first story follows donovan as his mother tries to get his assigned reading banned due to it's "inappropriate content." the second is excerpts of the book that's the cause of all the town's discussion in the first place. the last story is that of gideon and roberto, it's a very sweet and innocent romance.
this book has a very good message and discusses them in an effective manner. book challenges are shown here in a realistic manner. book banning has become such an important topic these days and i'm hoping this book will get into the hands of those who need it.
thank you to netgalley and random house children's for an arc in exchange for my honest review.
this book has a very good message and discusses them in an effective manner. book challenges are shown here in a realistic manner. book banning has become such an important topic these days and i'm hoping this book will get into the hands of those who need it.
thank you to netgalley and random house children's for an arc in exchange for my honest review.
September 29, 2025
✰ 3 stars ✰
The above phrase is one that ruffled a few unsuspecting feathers, like ten-year-old Donovan's mother, who without knowing the context behind anything, decided that such comments were inappropriate if not offensive and unacceptable for a fifth-grader to read. 🧐 Her limited thinking compelled her to lead a campaign of rallying the troops of all parents who objected to this completely innocuous comment, of appealing to the elementary school board that it should be stricken from the curriculum, a request that baffled Donovan, who could not quite understand why it bothered her so. 📖
“It was the answer to a question I hadn’t asked: What are you afraid of?”
Unfortunately and sadly, it still seems that even in this day and age, some people still struggle and are reluctant to let it be, and decide what they deem is inappropriate for audiences, even when it is not. 🥺 One where writers are still fighting for a place in schools/libraries, where people pass quick judgment without any basis to it, when literally the Answers in the Pages of what the sentiment truly captures - a pure and trusting friendship of two adventurers that share a deep bond and are all set for the next adventure together. ⚔️
And that probably bothered me how, as much as I respect Leviathan's stance on the subject, I did not quite like how he glossed over Donovan's mother even commenting on her change of thought, albeit one that is worth having. But, it felt like such a cop out of the author not attempting to even admit her stance; it left me feeling bitter and unresolved in that regard. 😕 Even the extensive emphasis on Donovan being straight, along with the slight assumption that maybe that will change, who's to say or argue with that, felt a bit oddly forced.
“The proper defense is ‘It doesn’t matter if they’re gay. The characters can be whoever they are.’”
Exactly! Why are some so pressed in opposing that?? But sadly, Leviathan's writing wasn't quite powerful or even reproachful enough; it felt technical and almost scripted. Like it had to cover all the bases of negativity, without really resolving the matter. 😥 Again it does serve as an actual representation of how opinions sadly remain divided and there is still much to learn and address for real change, and even gradual acceptance, even though time and tide has shown that things have changed, but something was not making me care enough.
I think also in an effort to keep it on a middle grade level, the writing also suffered. Aside from the disjointed feeling of the varying three perspectives, Donovan's class felt like tools and props (y'know, like in those educational kids shows where each point addressed is meant to lead into the next discussion), so it lacked a believability behind it, despite how encouraging it was to see how supportive they were of each other. 🙄 However, I'm glad the Author's Note shed light on the choice behind certain names; the homage to queer influence in literary works was a nice touch.
“You know I’m always up for a challenge,” he replied. “Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, count me in.”
The other two "side stories" may have affected the fluidity of the storyline, but they were still sweet and cute and sincere - the power of friendship, a joy for forever - a story of love and happiness. 🥰 A glimpse into something pure and real and still insightful into what led to the idea of a seemingly harmless portrayal that honestly is up to one's mindset to interpret it the way they feel it so, without any cause of it being considered wrong to do so. It doesn't hurt anyone, so why should it matter?
Maybe it's where the message is more important than the book itself, but I would have liked to have cared about something, especially when it is an important subject that I strongly agree and believe in. 😤 Yet I remained indifferent; maybe because I was not the target audience to convince that censorship does not help and challenging books without a preamble is unfair and unjust, it failed to stir any real emotion in me, nor move me in a convincing light.
“At that moment Rick knew just how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew just how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.”
The above phrase is one that ruffled a few unsuspecting feathers, like ten-year-old Donovan's mother, who without knowing the context behind anything, decided that such comments were inappropriate if not offensive and unacceptable for a fifth-grader to read. 🧐 Her limited thinking compelled her to lead a campaign of rallying the troops of all parents who objected to this completely innocuous comment, of appealing to the elementary school board that it should be stricken from the curriculum, a request that baffled Donovan, who could not quite understand why it bothered her so. 📖
“It was the answer to a question I hadn’t asked: What are you afraid of?”
Unfortunately and sadly, it still seems that even in this day and age, some people still struggle and are reluctant to let it be, and decide what they deem is inappropriate for audiences, even when it is not. 🥺 One where writers are still fighting for a place in schools/libraries, where people pass quick judgment without any basis to it, when literally the Answers in the Pages of what the sentiment truly captures - a pure and trusting friendship of two adventurers that share a deep bond and are all set for the next adventure together. ⚔️
And that probably bothered me how, as much as I respect Leviathan's stance on the subject, I did not quite like how he glossed over Donovan's mother even commenting on her change of thought, albeit one that is worth having. But, it felt like such a cop out of the author not attempting to even admit her stance; it left me feeling bitter and unresolved in that regard. 😕 Even the extensive emphasis on Donovan being straight, along with the slight assumption that maybe that will change, who's to say or argue with that, felt a bit oddly forced.
“The proper defense is ‘It doesn’t matter if they’re gay. The characters can be whoever they are.’”
Exactly! Why are some so pressed in opposing that?? But sadly, Leviathan's writing wasn't quite powerful or even reproachful enough; it felt technical and almost scripted. Like it had to cover all the bases of negativity, without really resolving the matter. 😥 Again it does serve as an actual representation of how opinions sadly remain divided and there is still much to learn and address for real change, and even gradual acceptance, even though time and tide has shown that things have changed, but something was not making me care enough.
I think also in an effort to keep it on a middle grade level, the writing also suffered. Aside from the disjointed feeling of the varying three perspectives, Donovan's class felt like tools and props (y'know, like in those educational kids shows where each point addressed is meant to lead into the next discussion), so it lacked a believability behind it, despite how encouraging it was to see how supportive they were of each other. 🙄 However, I'm glad the Author's Note shed light on the choice behind certain names; the homage to queer influence in literary works was a nice touch.
“You know I’m always up for a challenge,” he replied. “Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, count me in.”
The other two "side stories" may have affected the fluidity of the storyline, but they were still sweet and cute and sincere - the power of friendship, a joy for forever - a story of love and happiness. 🥰 A glimpse into something pure and real and still insightful into what led to the idea of a seemingly harmless portrayal that honestly is up to one's mindset to interpret it the way they feel it so, without any cause of it being considered wrong to do so. It doesn't hurt anyone, so why should it matter?
Maybe it's where the message is more important than the book itself, but I would have liked to have cared about something, especially when it is an important subject that I strongly agree and believe in. 😤 Yet I remained indifferent; maybe because I was not the target audience to convince that censorship does not help and challenging books without a preamble is unfair and unjust, it failed to stir any real emotion in me, nor move me in a convincing light.
July 6, 2022
I can't recommend this book enough. I've read two other books by this author and this has to be my favorite so far, although I was a fan before this book. The book is timely, even as debate rages in schools and communities over banning books. What I love is how sensitively the author approaches the issues, and that he doesn't just make out those who want to ban certain books from the curriculum as pure evil. In fact, Donavan's mom, who started the whole process of banning the adventure book from their classroom, was painted as someone who truly loved him with all her heart. It was clear to me that the only way to "win" in this battle is for people on both sides to talk to each other. Okay, there were some people on the side of banning the books who are not well-intentioned, but I liked the way the issue was approached at this school and in this book. There were so many good points made in this book that I would like everyone to read this book. But ultimately, what I loved about this book were Roberto and Gideon themselves as they form first a friendship, and then first love. I also loved hearing the perspectives of many of the characters in the book. This book and so many books for lgbtqa+ teens and middle school students need to be in schools everywhere.
As an aside, I loved the turtles in this book! It made me think of my own Sheldon, may he rest in peace. We lost him at the ripe old age of 50+.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As an aside, I loved the turtles in this book! It made me think of my own Sheldon, may he rest in peace. We lost him at the ripe old age of 50+.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 1, 2023
“You can’t have adventures without freedom ... And you can’t have freedom if you’re not willing to defend it from the people who want to take it away.”
What a timely, thoughtful middle grade novel. I couldn't believe the timing of its publication (May 2022) when book censorship is at an all-time high. Currently, there are discussions of banning books that one Virginia judge deems "obscene," where the books cannot be borrowed or owned by anyone. Tack on Florida's delightful "Don't Say Gay" bill and Texas being a general *waves at sinkhole of homophobia* and this book (unfortunately) could not have released at a better time.
I just hope the kids who need it the most will be able to read it.
This story has one of my favorite tropes: a story within a story. There are three storylines woven throughout, something that took me WAY too long to figure out considering I read constantly and am also a writer *face palm*
Donovan's 5th grade class is reading The Adventurers for their adventure unit. When Donovan's mother flips through the book she reads the final line, she interprets it to be two boys falling in romantic love. Immediately she starts the process for contesting a book, rallying the whole town and forcing Donovan's class to stop reading the book for the time being. In the past, Gideon and Roberto become unexpected friends, bonding over turtles and perhaps developing feelings for each other. Then the story of The Adventurers itself is included, which honestly should be made into a full story because it was so freaking fun! Reminded me of The 39 Clues series that I adored as a kid.
"In challenging a book, they would have been trying to turn off a tap, when who I am is actually an ocean."
The story is more complex than it seems on page. Donovan doesn't agree with his mom, and I've never read a more mature conversation between a child and their parent before. Mr. Howe, their teacher, is gay, and the author of The Adventurers is as well. The characters are all fleshed out, Donovan's mom especially. I LOVE how Levithan wrote her scenes! You feel attached to all of the characters in the three stories, something difficult to achieve anyways, but especially in less than 200 pages.
This book is a must-read for everyone.
TW: homophobia
The characters in the book are all named after LGBTQ+ authors, especially ones that came before David Levithan hit the kidlit scene and became an absolute staple. Middle grade is not normally in his wheelhouse, but I think he did a fantastic job providing nuance to the conversation and rounding out all three storylines, but in a fun, approachable way that elementary readers will understand and learn from. You can feel the love and care Levithan has for his fellow authors and the LGBTQ+ community.
"Our stories should never be defined by the people who don’t want us to tell them."
Sometimes parents can be wrong. Sometimes people can be well-intentioned and still hurt others. Sometimes there are conversations that kids aren't ready for, but assuming all children aren't ready to be exposed to the realness of life—and assuming they haven't already had endure some of life's challenges—is a disservice to the bright and growing next generation.
July 12, 2022
It became the forbidden fruit. The students in Mr. Howe's class were assigned to read The Adventurers but it seems that one of the parents found something they didn't like about the book and they challenged the book before the school board. Ah! This challenge has now caused a mad rush for the 5th graders to read the book before they must turn their books into their teacher as the book goes through this process. What is so wrong about this book? What is the excitement all about? The students want/need to know!! Why did Donovan have to leave his copy of the book out so that his mother would find it?
The subject of banned books is front and center as Donovan’s mother reads the ending of her son’s assigned reading book and becomes upset when she feels that the characters in the book are gay. He’s only in 5th grade and he’s reading this! The author did an excellent job presenting both sides of this issue as it gets discussed openly in a formal meeting with a variety of individuals speaking. I enjoyed Donovan’s feelings as he’s embarrassed with the production his mother is making out of this book and I liked how he handles himself throughout the proceedings to get this issue settled. It becomes a bit sensitive as Mr. Howe discusses his own partner and he openly talks about his gay relationship.
This book was one of those stories which I noticed that my reading pace slowed and increased around the events of the book. There were some great moments in the book, times when individuals spoke from the heart and it brought a smile to my face. This becomes a personal issue for some and you can feel their emotions in their behavior and in their voice. A fantastic read that I highly recommend.
Quotes:
(page 32) " For the first time, he realized teachers had a hard job, deciding which really good books to teach, since there were definitely more really good books than there were days in the school year. "
(page 98) " Whether or not you think they're gay, it's not a big deal. It's not the point of the story. Being gay is not the point of my life or Bert's life. It's an important part of it, definitely. But it's not the point."
(page 146) "........a person's humanity should never be a matter of debate. Instead, it is a matter of the highest principle we can aspire to, which is equality."
The subject of banned books is front and center as Donovan’s mother reads the ending of her son’s assigned reading book and becomes upset when she feels that the characters in the book are gay. He’s only in 5th grade and he’s reading this! The author did an excellent job presenting both sides of this issue as it gets discussed openly in a formal meeting with a variety of individuals speaking. I enjoyed Donovan’s feelings as he’s embarrassed with the production his mother is making out of this book and I liked how he handles himself throughout the proceedings to get this issue settled. It becomes a bit sensitive as Mr. Howe discusses his own partner and he openly talks about his gay relationship.
This book was one of those stories which I noticed that my reading pace slowed and increased around the events of the book. There were some great moments in the book, times when individuals spoke from the heart and it brought a smile to my face. This becomes a personal issue for some and you can feel their emotions in their behavior and in their voice. A fantastic read that I highly recommend.
Quotes:
(page 32) " For the first time, he realized teachers had a hard job, deciding which really good books to teach, since there were definitely more really good books than there were days in the school year. "
(page 98) " Whether or not you think they're gay, it's not a big deal. It's not the point of the story. Being gay is not the point of my life or Bert's life. It's an important part of it, definitely. But it's not the point."
(page 146) "........a person's humanity should never be a matter of debate. Instead, it is a matter of the highest principle we can aspire to, which is equality."
May 22, 2022
There once was a book, a turtle, and an alligator. It didn't matter whether any of them were gay, all that mattered was the book was good, the turtle was happy, and the alligator...this is why I typically don't write reviews for books (and perhaps why nobody has hired me to write summaries on their back covers).
This is an amazing book.
To be honest, David Levithan has been my favorite author since I was in middle school, so this review is coming from that bias. However, I was very disappointed his new book (this one! Published just 11 days ago!) was categorized as "youth" "middle school" and "juvenile" at my local libraries. I love his adult novels. I loved his middle school books when I was that age, but now I just read them for nostalgia, right?
I no longer care that this is a "middle grade" novel. It is one of the best, most well-written books I've ever read. And it's less than 200 pages. I can fall in love with characters, and cry, and think about this for days after I finish it, and want to talk with everyone I know about the content. This book made me feel good (IT HAS TURTLES ON THE COVER (I love turtles like that zombie kid in that viral news video loves turtles, perhaps more, definitely as much as Gideon)), but also made me so much more aware of current event problems with censorship in schools. It made me love that this is a middle grade novel and kids can read it and see themselves in it. It got me wondering if this book would be challenged in a 5th grade classroom as "appropriate" reading material. It is so appropriate. Every person should be required to read it prior to submitting a request to ban a book. Every person on a review board should read it. And every 5th grader should be able to read it and fall in love with the story and David Levithan's brilliant writing.
This is an amazing book.
To be honest, David Levithan has been my favorite author since I was in middle school, so this review is coming from that bias. However, I was very disappointed his new book (this one! Published just 11 days ago!) was categorized as "youth" "middle school" and "juvenile" at my local libraries. I love his adult novels. I loved his middle school books when I was that age, but now I just read them for nostalgia, right?
I no longer care that this is a "middle grade" novel. It is one of the best, most well-written books I've ever read. And it's less than 200 pages. I can fall in love with characters, and cry, and think about this for days after I finish it, and want to talk with everyone I know about the content. This book made me feel good (IT HAS TURTLES ON THE COVER (I love turtles like that zombie kid in that viral news video loves turtles, perhaps more, definitely as much as Gideon)), but also made me so much more aware of current event problems with censorship in schools. It made me love that this is a middle grade novel and kids can read it and see themselves in it. It got me wondering if this book would be challenged in a 5th grade classroom as "appropriate" reading material. It is so appropriate. Every person should be required to read it prior to submitting a request to ban a book. Every person on a review board should read it. And every 5th grader should be able to read it and fall in love with the story and David Levithan's brilliant writing.
November 8, 2023
Så fin, och även om många vuxna i boken är homofober så är det så otroligt bra att författaren gjort alla barnen toleranta, att de försvarar boken och rätten att få vara den man är. Sen tänker jag att detta är ju inte Sverige, men det är viktig att inte luta sig tillbaka och bara tro att allt fortsätter åt rätt håll, det finns alltid krafter som strävar bakåt. Bra bok, läs! (sen tyckte jag kapitlen med äventyrarna var lite b, men men) (och så grät jag lite mot slutet, alltid ett bra betyg 🙂)
September 15, 2022
This is an excellent example of a book that manages to provide young readers with a lot of useful information, even a script by which to deliver that information to peers and adults, without being overly didactic or preachy. Compare this to Different Kinds of Fruit, a book with a similar goal. DKoF reads far more like adult-insert wish fulfillment BS, where the story serves as a backdrop onto which the author can drop the things they wish they'd been able to say as a kid. This is OK in a macro sense, but makes for a pretty cringey book.
Levithan, instead, wrote a book that serves as a tool for children who might be facing the very real possibility of book challenges in their community. In addition to being a very sweet story for kids of any age, Answers in the Pages also models how a kid might talk to a teacher or caregiver about censorship and "appropriateness." Is it a little schmaltzy? Sure, but that's in service to the story's ultimate goal. Levithan has been a titan of queer YA for decades, and his respect for kids, teachers, and his literary peers shines through here.
I would love to see this book in classroom libraries everywhere.
Levithan, instead, wrote a book that serves as a tool for children who might be facing the very real possibility of book challenges in their community. In addition to being a very sweet story for kids of any age, Answers in the Pages also models how a kid might talk to a teacher or caregiver about censorship and "appropriateness." Is it a little schmaltzy? Sure, but that's in service to the story's ultimate goal. Levithan has been a titan of queer YA for decades, and his respect for kids, teachers, and his literary peers shines through here.
I would love to see this book in classroom libraries everywhere.
May 30, 2022
Ommmgggggg. Truly so sweet and cute I’m actually obsessed. This book made me FEEL!
First of all, having a queer teacher be challenged for the books they have in the classroom hits REAL home for me. So there was that uneasiness because even though it was fiction, I’ve been through so much of that situation.
The little romance in it was delightful, everything I would’ve wanted to read when I was in 5th grade (and it even has the BEST connection / twist).
This includes some chapters of the book that is being challenged and I really only liked 2-3 of those chapters, so I wish there was less of that and more of the actual story. I especially loved the story parts of the main character, Donovan, standing up for what he believes. That was really great to read about!!
HIGHLY recommend this to anyone 5th grade and up. Difficulty wise could easily be understood by 3rd/4th grade but there IS some romantic kissing between two kids that might throw some readers off.
First of all, having a queer teacher be challenged for the books they have in the classroom hits REAL home for me. So there was that uneasiness because even though it was fiction, I’ve been through so much of that situation.
The little romance in it was delightful, everything I would’ve wanted to read when I was in 5th grade (and it even has the BEST connection / twist).
This includes some chapters of the book that is being challenged and I really only liked 2-3 of those chapters, so I wish there was less of that and more of the actual story. I especially loved the story parts of the main character, Donovan, standing up for what he believes. That was really great to read about!!
HIGHLY recommend this to anyone 5th grade and up. Difficulty wise could easily be understood by 3rd/4th grade but there IS some romantic kissing between two kids that might throw some readers off.
October 21, 2022
One of the best books I've read this year. It's a powerful and thought-provoking look at baning books with potential LGBTQIA+ content in a Gr. 5 classroom and the resulting discussions and actions. I highly recommend it.
August 8, 2022
An awesome fictionalization of the challenging of LGBTQ+ books that's going on in schools and libraries (and even bookstores) all over the country. The author's note about the names in the books really cinched this as a five-star read for me, but it was already a great, topical book.
June 25, 2022
This book by David Levithan is fantastic in every way and form. It tackles recent and relevant issues, such as book censorship and homophobia, gracefully and respectfully. It is the perfect novel for children in middle school, and I recommend that they read this book. The only reason I cut a star is because all the overlapping stories did get slightly confusing at times, but otherwise, it’s a great read!
August 24, 2022
I really loved the idea of this book. Undeniably timely, this is the story of a fifth-grade classroom, their teacher, and book that comes under fire from a small rabble-rousing group of parents.
Donovan's class is enjoying their reading assignment, "The Adventurers," with everyone seeing it as a straightforward tale of derring-do. However, when our main character's mother decides that the two heroes of the book are secretly gay, her objection to the principal sets off a chain reaction that winds up involving the entire school and community.
Personally, I wasn't as enthusiastic about the book's breakaways into chapters from "The Adventurers," the fictional "Johnny Quest"-type story that is being targeted for banning in the book's universe. (Yes, I realize that I am not the book's target audience, so maybe kids will enjoy these interludes more.)
There were a few sections where I think the dialogue could have used some polish. There were a couple of times when characters made mini-speeches that sounded more like blog postings than natural dialogue--especially when the speakers were grade school kids. Once again, I realize that this content is meant to educate its young audience, so it's easier to give it a pass than if the book had been written for adult readers.
All in all, PAGES is a thought-provoking junior novel whose premise is as immediate as today's headlines. (Pay attention for a surprise in the concluding chapter!)
Donovan's class is enjoying their reading assignment, "The Adventurers," with everyone seeing it as a straightforward tale of derring-do. However, when our main character's mother decides that the two heroes of the book are secretly gay, her objection to the principal sets off a chain reaction that winds up involving the entire school and community.
Personally, I wasn't as enthusiastic about the book's breakaways into chapters from "The Adventurers," the fictional "Johnny Quest"-type story that is being targeted for banning in the book's universe. (Yes, I realize that I am not the book's target audience, so maybe kids will enjoy these interludes more.)
There were a few sections where I think the dialogue could have used some polish. There were a couple of times when characters made mini-speeches that sounded more like blog postings than natural dialogue--especially when the speakers were grade school kids. Once again, I realize that this content is meant to educate its young audience, so it's easier to give it a pass than if the book had been written for adult readers.
All in all, PAGES is a thought-provoking junior novel whose premise is as immediate as today's headlines. (Pay attention for a surprise in the concluding chapter!)
June 8, 2022
Although geared towards middle schoolers, I love Levithan’s ability to write a book even adults would enjoy. With all that’s going on between parents and school boards with book challenges, this story is a timely and well crafted statement on the importance of everyone’s experiences and identities as well as the crucial need for them to be widely accessible to people of all ages.
May 5, 2022
absolutely magical
October 6, 2022
This is legitimately one of the best and most touching books I’ve ever read, and it’s for fifth graders
September 10, 2022
Pre-read comments:Y'all don't know how quickly I ran to pick up this book once I learned it existed. I know this is MG, but how is it that I didn't know that this book was released this year? Timely book indubitably.
Full review:
Quick review for a quick read. So I completely fell in love with this book for how much it was a love letter to many things: GLBTQIA+ literature in MG and YA over time, the power and right to tell stories, and the ability to weave sa story of the present, a story of the past, AND a fictional story within a story all into one rather brief middle grade novel. That is no small feat. Well done, David Levithan - I think this is one of my favorite reads this year.
Admittedly I don't pick up as many middle grade titles as I would like to, but I knew this was one I couldn't hesitate to read because of its timely address of many book bans occurring across public schools and libraries as of late. "Answers in the Pages" does a fantastic job of telling the story of Donovan, a 5th grader whose mother comes across his newly assigned read from his Language Arts class. She ends up snatching it up before he even has the chance to read it. What follows is a much lighter mirror of what's currently happening across the United States - Donovan's mother starts a movement to prevent her son's school - and openly gay teacher - from allowing their class to read "The Adventurers." The action/adventure story of the two heroes earns the ire of Donovan's mother, alongside other parents, because of an implied gay relationship based on the last line of the novel.
Donovan's range of emotions on the matter are vivid and empathetic as he not only tries to manage reading the book for himself to determine why his mother would have such a harsh reaction to it, navigating the conflict and guilt about his mother's actions, but also acknowledging and aligning with his peers in a way that has him speaking up for what he believes. It never becomes too heavy in the scope of the narrative - but does assert some tense moments as the novel approaches its climax and the fated school board meeting where the fate of the book is decided.
Alongside that story are two other narratives in this novel. Gideon is a boy whose story takes place in the past and expresses the deep connection he establishes with a boy who transfers to his school. Their parts of the book are so intricate and sweet in the moments we see them connect, from an appreciation of turtles (hence the title and cover) to arcade games to probably one of the best Valentine scenes (with chocolate!) I've read in a MG work. I had such a grin on my face seeing the friendship between them bloom into more as time went on. The last concurrent story told in the mix of the novel are snippets of the fictional book "The Adventurers" - showcasing the dynamic adventures of Oliver and Rick trying to fight their way through bad guys and various perils, all while having a close relationship of their own. I think Levithan does a fine job of weaving all three narratives together in a way that feels seamless and easy to understand. And without spoiling, Gideon's story has an attachment to one of the characters that's revealed/confirmed towards the end of the novel.
"Answers in the Pages" was such a joy to pick up and definitely a new favorite of mine. I'd re-read this and would highly recommend it, not just as an empathetic way of talking about the difficult subject it handles with grace, but also for the sweet and cool (because I really would pick up "The Adventurers" if it were an actual, full novel!) stories it features alongside that.
Overall score: 5/5 stars.
Full review:
Quick review for a quick read. So I completely fell in love with this book for how much it was a love letter to many things: GLBTQIA+ literature in MG and YA over time, the power and right to tell stories, and the ability to weave sa story of the present, a story of the past, AND a fictional story within a story all into one rather brief middle grade novel. That is no small feat. Well done, David Levithan - I think this is one of my favorite reads this year.
Admittedly I don't pick up as many middle grade titles as I would like to, but I knew this was one I couldn't hesitate to read because of its timely address of many book bans occurring across public schools and libraries as of late. "Answers in the Pages" does a fantastic job of telling the story of Donovan, a 5th grader whose mother comes across his newly assigned read from his Language Arts class. She ends up snatching it up before he even has the chance to read it. What follows is a much lighter mirror of what's currently happening across the United States - Donovan's mother starts a movement to prevent her son's school - and openly gay teacher - from allowing their class to read "The Adventurers." The action/adventure story of the two heroes earns the ire of Donovan's mother, alongside other parents, because of an implied gay relationship based on the last line of the novel.
Donovan's range of emotions on the matter are vivid and empathetic as he not only tries to manage reading the book for himself to determine why his mother would have such a harsh reaction to it, navigating the conflict and guilt about his mother's actions, but also acknowledging and aligning with his peers in a way that has him speaking up for what he believes. It never becomes too heavy in the scope of the narrative - but does assert some tense moments as the novel approaches its climax and the fated school board meeting where the fate of the book is decided.
Alongside that story are two other narratives in this novel. Gideon is a boy whose story takes place in the past and expresses the deep connection he establishes with a boy who transfers to his school. Their parts of the book are so intricate and sweet in the moments we see them connect, from an appreciation of turtles (hence the title and cover) to arcade games to probably one of the best Valentine scenes (with chocolate!) I've read in a MG work. I had such a grin on my face seeing the friendship between them bloom into more as time went on. The last concurrent story told in the mix of the novel are snippets of the fictional book "The Adventurers" - showcasing the dynamic adventures of Oliver and Rick trying to fight their way through bad guys and various perils, all while having a close relationship of their own. I think Levithan does a fine job of weaving all three narratives together in a way that feels seamless and easy to understand. And without spoiling, Gideon's story has an attachment to one of the characters that's revealed/confirmed towards the end of the novel.
"Answers in the Pages" was such a joy to pick up and definitely a new favorite of mine. I'd re-read this and would highly recommend it, not just as an empathetic way of talking about the difficult subject it handles with grace, but also for the sweet and cool (because I really would pick up "The Adventurers" if it were an actual, full novel!) stories it features alongside that.
Overall score: 5/5 stars.
April 23, 2022
5 stars
Jason Reynolds gives one of the best descriptions of Children's and YA books as time capsules, and while this book - sadly - isn't covering a new issue, it's absolutely weaving together an incredibly profound and succinct example of exactly what Reynolds describes.
There are three storylines here: present, past, and the book within the book. Donovan, the m.c. (for the most part), is a grade-schooler who gets assigned a fun adventure book in his Language Arts class. The kids all appear to love their teacher and enthusiastically read and enjoy the book. However, Donovan's mom is the demented kind of reader (sorry, it's just how I strongly feel) who picks up a book and reads its ending first. When she does, she discovers what she considers "inappropriate" content. Thus begins her revolting campaign to have this book removed from the class.
The throughline is very much about the book being assigned, Donovan's processing of his mom's bananas actions and bigotry, and the final school board meeting where the book's fate will be determined. Woven throughout this main story is the past storyline of two young fellows who meet at school and experience their friendship evolving into something much more profound. I smiled during every second of those sections. They are *so* sweet. And finally, there are chunks of the "inappropriate" book included throughout so that readers can make their own assessments.
Like all of the fellow educators with whom I am personally acquainted, the most recent wave of banning and all of the related issues have me feeling ill, devastated, worried for our future, and certain that _Idiocracy_ was a documentary. I'm expecting Gatorade from the sprinklers any minute. But this book gave me a little hope that kids - and maybe even more importantly some of their misguided guardians - will pick this up and feel seen and change their minds, respectively.
I'll be enthusiastically recommending this to my students: especially but not exclusively those who are future teachers. It's a speedy must-read.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Jason Reynolds gives one of the best descriptions of Children's and YA books as time capsules, and while this book - sadly - isn't covering a new issue, it's absolutely weaving together an incredibly profound and succinct example of exactly what Reynolds describes.
There are three storylines here: present, past, and the book within the book. Donovan, the m.c. (for the most part), is a grade-schooler who gets assigned a fun adventure book in his Language Arts class. The kids all appear to love their teacher and enthusiastically read and enjoy the book. However, Donovan's mom is the demented kind of reader (sorry, it's just how I strongly feel) who picks up a book and reads its ending first. When she does, she discovers what she considers "inappropriate" content. Thus begins her revolting campaign to have this book removed from the class.
The throughline is very much about the book being assigned, Donovan's processing of his mom's bananas actions and bigotry, and the final school board meeting where the book's fate will be determined. Woven throughout this main story is the past storyline of two young fellows who meet at school and experience their friendship evolving into something much more profound. I smiled during every second of those sections. They are *so* sweet. And finally, there are chunks of the "inappropriate" book included throughout so that readers can make their own assessments.
Like all of the fellow educators with whom I am personally acquainted, the most recent wave of banning and all of the related issues have me feeling ill, devastated, worried for our future, and certain that _Idiocracy_ was a documentary. I'm expecting Gatorade from the sprinklers any minute. But this book gave me a little hope that kids - and maybe even more importantly some of their misguided guardians - will pick this up and feel seen and change their minds, respectively.
I'll be enthusiastically recommending this to my students: especially but not exclusively those who are future teachers. It's a speedy must-read.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
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