medina. the one who loves you the most. 2022. 256p. Levine Querido, $11.99 (9781646140909) Recommended Grade Levels 4-7.
Gabriela is a young Honduran adoptee raised by a single mom and navigating the intersectionality of adoption and gender. Gabriela is growing increasingly aware their feelings around their body with of a lack of mirrors to describe their experiences. However, despite Gabriela’s nerves with the new school year, a school project and newfound queer friendships, Gabriela begins to find their passion project, building a Youtube channel! This is a story of finding language and confidence in identities when a young person can feel like “the only”.
Perspectives: Written by queer Honduran nonbinary trans adoptee this book is both written with developmentally appropriate language and nuance around queer identity exploration that will resonate with readers who lack queer role models and adoptee mirrors in their lives. While this book focuses on Gabriela’s exploration of queer identity, the layers of the adoptee experience are important details noted throughout the book referenced in the title, opening, and closing.
Practice: Being an adoptee and queer is an isolating experience in communities without representation. This book is vital to put into the hands of kids who need language to process their own experiences. For allies, this is also an important window for building empathy for kids who may not have any understanding of what a peer may be experiencing.
Buy it and treasure it!
Reviewed by María Valiente
The Adoptee Bookshelf 