by Alex Gino celebrates the legacy of queer history. Sam and TJ are best friends and the only nonbinary kids in 7^thgrade, growing up on Staten Island, “the forgotten borough of New York City”. Sam and TJ are beginning to explore their queer identities, with the help of their neighbors, 28-year-old lesbian Jess and her nonbinary partner, Val. Yet, their middle school history teacher seems determined to teach that the only people important enough to make history are “Dead Straight Cisgender White Men”. Inspired to prove him wrong, Sam and TJ delve into the legacy of Alice Austen, a famous lesbian photographer who made Staten Island her home and even once lived in Sam’s apartment. When the borough opens up a contest for a new statue of a historical figure, Sam and TJ work together to design a monument to Austen, to learn more about her, and to prove that queer people have always been an important part of history. (Chapter Books)