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Jamie

A joyful story of friendship, bravery and acceptance

L.D. Lapinski, Author

Imprint: Orion Children's Books

Publication date: March 30, 2023

Category: School stories (Children's / Teenage)

ISBN: 9781510110922

One of the Guardian’s best children’s and YA books of 2023

‘FABULOUS, HOPEFUL, IMPORTANT’ – Emma Carroll

‘A sensitive, moving 9+ story about fighting for acceptance and change’ – Guardian

‘An inspirational story of a young person finding the strength and resilience to be exactly who they are’ – The Scotsman

A beautiful and uplifting story from L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, about how to make your own place when the world doesn’t think you fit anywhere. For fans of Me, My Dad and The End of The Rainbow.

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.

As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever…

Reviews

Fabulous, hopeful, important

Emma Carroll, author of Secrets of a Sun King

An inspirational story of a young person finding the strength and resilience to be exactly who they are when faced with a difficult choice.

The Scotsman

A joyful, heartfelt story of claiming your true identity. L. D. Lapinski has created something truly special and also very important

Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear

A real triumph, bursting with joy

Carlie Sorosiak, author of I, Cosmo

A hugely important, deeply moving and utterly joyful story about staying true to yourself and the power of protest. It's impossible to read this book and not come away buoyed with hope for a more accepting and inclusive future. Everyone needs to read Jamie - their story is destined to become a classic. I loved it!

Aisling Fowler, author of Fireborn

Protest, pride and the promise of change; Jamie is magnificent.

Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author of Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend

This book is going to mean a lot to non-binary kids but especially too to kids still learning and figuring things out ... a treasure

Marieke Nijkamp, author of This is Where it Ends

warm, resourceful ... explored the options open to a gender non-conforming child at the end of year 6 in a town where there are only two secondary schools: one for girls and one for boys

Guardian

A sensitive, moving 9+ story about fighting for acceptance and change.

The Guardian

L.D.Lapinski

L.D. Lapinski

L.D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. They are the author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency trilogy, and the standalone novel Jamie.

When they aren’t writing, L.D. can be found cosplaying, drinking a lot of cherry cola, and taking care of a forest of succulent plants. L.D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and Sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L.D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer.

You can find them on Twitter @ldlapinski or at ldlapinski.com

To get in touch about booking an event, please visit my website.

L.D.Lapinski