Camp QUILTBAG

From the acclaimed authors of Hurricane Season and Ana on the Edge, an unforgettable story about the importance of and joy in finding a community, for fans of Alex Gino and Ashley Herring-Blake.

Twelve-year-old Abigail (she/her/hers) is so excited to spend her summer at Camp QUILTBAG, an inclusive retreat for queer and trans kids. She can’t wait to find a community where she can be herself—and, she hopes, admit her crush on that one hot older actress to kids who will understand.

Thirteen-year-old Kai (e/em/eir) is not as excited. E just wants to hang out with eir best friend and eir parkour team. And e definitely does not want to think about the incident that left eir arm in a sling—the incident that also made Kai’s parents determined to send em somewhere e can feel like emself.

After a bit of a rocky start at camp, Abigail and Kai make a pact: If Kai helps Abigail make new friends, Abigail will help Kai’s cabin with the all-camp competition. But as they navigate a summer full of crushes, queer identity exploration, and more, they learn what’s really important. Camp QUILTBAG is a heartfelt story full of the joy that comes from being and loving yourself.

• ALA Rainbow Round Table Top Ten Pick

• * "Warm and affirming . . . A timely and necessary addition to any elementary or middle school library, especially as LGBTQIA+ children are seeking examples of loving communities who fully embrace every part of them."

  School Library Journal

• “Middle-schoolers find increased self-awareness and solidarity at an LGBTQ+ camp in this empathetic, widely representative novel…Prominent in queer middle-grade fiction, Melleby and Sass write with incredible compassion, crafting a sweet summertime romance while modeling difficult conversations and valuable lessons in inclusivity. An instructive, affirming pick for rainbow readers and allies.”

  Booklist

• “The main characters stand as loving depictions of cis lesbian and nonbinary kids.. It captures that camp feeling of getting away from home, meeting different people, and growing as a person, all over the course of just two weeks.  At its heart, an enjoyable summer camp story.”

  Kirkus Reviews

• "Distilling many relatable experiences and engaging with themes of layered identity, this important story highlights the importance of queer camaraderie and education.”

  Publishers Weekly

• "This engaging, gently affirming novel should be valuable to young readers exploring their own identities or curious about those of others.”

  The Horn Book