Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences.

I’m happy to be able to talk about ONE TRUE WAY by Shannon Hitchcock. This is the story of Allie Drake, a middle school girl figuring out how she fits into the world.

Welcome to Daniel Boone Middle School in the 1970s, where teachers and coaches must hide who they are, and girls who like girls are forced to question their own choices. Presented in the voice of a premier storyteller, One True Way sheds exquisite light on what it means to be different, while at the same time being wholly true to oneself. Through the lives and influences of two girls, readers come to see that love is love is love. Set against the backdrop of history and politics that surrounded gay rights in the 1970s South, this novel is a thoughtful, eye-opening, look at tolerance, acceptance, and change, and will widen the hearts of all readers. (Goodreads)

I was thrilled to see a middle grade novel dive into these issues. The number of young adult novels featuring LGBTQ characters is slowly increasing, but there aren’t as many involving younger characters. It’s during the years of elementary and middle school that kids develop their first crushes. This is a wonderful time, but can also be confusing and heartbreaking if their feelings are not returned, or if their ideas are different from their family’s. ONE TRUE WAY gives this younger age group a character they can relate to.

Not only does this novel provide insight for school-age readers, it gives adult readers the opportunity to learn from the feelings, confusion, and intolerance that surround kids this age as they struggle to find acceptance in their world. It is just as important for adults as it is for kids to be able to look into someone else’s life for a different perspective.

This is a wonderful read that shows just how many different aspects of a person’s life shape their beliefs and personalities. It is thought-provoking and compassionate for everyone, especially the eight to twelve age group.

ONE TRUE WAY was published February 27, 2018. You can get your copy everywhere including Indiebound, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

For more information on Shannon Hitchcock, ONE TRUE WAY, and her other middle grade novels, visit her website here.