There's a lot twelve-year-old B doesn't know--like what their new name should be after coming out as nonbinary. Or what it would feel like to finally feel at home after moving around to different foster families for years. But there's one thing B does know: they want to be a dog trainer when they grow up. And when they meet Gooseberry--a feisty stray dog who seems as wary of strangers as B does--B feels an instant connection. With Gooseberry, B could have everything they want: a family of their own, and a dog to train. And B's newest foster parents agree to let B adopt him.

But training a dog isn't as easy as B expected. Gooseberry is anxious and barely lets B pet him, let alone train him. Will Gooseberry ever feel at ease with B? And how can B teach Gooseberry to trust, when they know so little about trust themself?

Gooseberry is a heartwarming story by the acclaimed author of Dear Mothman about finding family, finding hope, and--most of all--finding and accepting yourself.

Robin Gow's acclaimed middle grade novel in verse about a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman

Moving and lyrical, Dear Mothman is a story about finding belonging and hope in the most unexpected places.

A few months ago, Noah's best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Feeling lost and alone, Noah starts writing letters to Mothman, Lewis's favorite cryptid, wondering if he would understand how Noah feels.

At first, Noah isn't sure whether he actually believes in Mothman--not like Lewis did. But when strange things start to happen around his wooded home, Noah wonders whether there might be something to the stories.

He decides to make his science fair project about Mothman, despite his teacher's urging to study something real. As Noah's mind begins to open, so does his world. He makes friends with a group of girls in his grade and finally feels like he belongs.

But most people are not so accepting, and he has no evidence to prove that Mothman exists. With the science fair looming closer, Noah decides to risk everything, trek into the woods, and find Mothman himself.

A hauntingly moving examination of grief, friendship, and identity, reminiscent of my favorite classics. Robin Gow has a magic with words, stirring and shining a light on the deepest of emotions, leaving behind goosebumps (and tears) for Noah's story. This book is a gift. --Kacen Callender, author of the National Book Award winner King and the Dragonflies

Robin Gow's acclaimed middle grade novel in verse about a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman

Moving and lyrical, Dear Mothman is a story about finding belonging and hope in the most unexpected places.

A few months ago, Noah's best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Feeling lost and alone, Noah starts writing letters to Mothman, Lewis's favorite cryptid, wondering if he would understand how Noah feels.

At first, Noah isn't sure whether he actually believes in Mothman--not like Lewis did. But when strange things start to happen around his wooded home, Noah wonders whether there might be something to the stories.

He decides to make his science fair project about Mothman, despite his teacher's urging to study something real. As Noah's mind begins to open, so does his world. He makes friends with a group of girls in his grade and finally feels like he belongs.

But most people are not so accepting, and he has no evidence to prove that Mothman exists. With the science fair looming closer, Noah decides to risk everything, trek into the woods, and find Mothman himself.

A hauntingly moving examination of grief, friendship, and identity, reminiscent of my favorite classics. Robin Gow has a magic with words, stirring and shining a light on the deepest of emotions, leaving behind goosebumps (and tears) for Noah's story. This book is a gift. --Kacen Callender, author of the National Book Award winner King and the Dragonflies

A modern love story, told in verse, about two teenaged trans boys who name themselves after two Revolutionary War soldiers. A lyrical, aching young adult romance perfect for fans of The Poet X, Darius the Great is Not Okay, and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe.

For as long as they can remember, Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other. In a small town with few queer teenagers, let alone young trans men, they've shared milestones like coming out as trans, buying the right binders--and falling for each other.

But just as their relationship has started to blossom, Aaron moves away. Feeling adrift, separated from the one person who understands them, they seek solace in digging deep into the annals of America's past. When they discover the story of two Revolutionary War soldiers who they believe to have been trans man in love, they're inspired to pay tribute to these soldiers by adopting their names--Aaron and Oliver. As they learn, they delve further into unwritten queer stories, and they discover the transformative power of reclaiming one's place in history.

Further reading on trans history is included in backmatter.

Monstrous Cartography is the latest poetry chapbook from Robin Gow. Robin Gow (it/fae/he & él y elle) is a trans poet, witch, and community educator. It grew up in Kutztown, Pennsylvania and lives with his partner Rain and their menagerie of animals on unceded Lenape land also called Allentown Pennsylvania. Awarded the Jerry Cain and Scott James Creative Writing Fellow, Gow earned faer MFA in Creative Writing from Adelphi University where fae also taught as a professor of English.

By the critically praised author of A Million Quiet Revolutions, this contemporary sapphic romance novel-in-verse follows a bisexual teen girl who falls in and out of love over the course of one fateful summer, perfect for fans of Juliet Takes a Breath and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me.

It's a few months before senior year and Claire Kemp, a closeted bisexual, is finally starting to admit she might be falling in love with her best friend, Sophia, who she's known since they were four.

Trying to pay off the fine from the crash that totals Lars, her beloved car, Claire takes a job at the local nursing home up the street from her house. There she meets Lena, an eighty-eight-year-old lesbian woman who tells her stories about what it was like growing up gay in the 1950s and '60s.

As Claire spends more time with Lena and grows more confident of her identity, another girl, Pen, comes into the picture, and Claire is caught between two loves-one familiar and well-worn, the other new and untested.

2024 Bank Street Best Books of the Year List

From Robin Gow, the award-winning author of Dear Mothman, comes a gripping middle-grade novel in verse about a boy who digs up and loses control of a saber-toothed tiger

Jasper's favorite person is his older brother, Callan. They go on fossil-finding missions and stay up late while their parents work nights. Callan even helped Jasper pick out his new name when he came out as trans.

But Callan starts to grow distant and leaves for college without taking Jasper on a promised fossil dig. Jasper feels abandoned--and angry. Who needs Callan? He will dig by himself, in his backyard. As he digs, he hears a voice: the bones of a saber-toothed tiger. He's buried deep, and he wants Jasper to DIG.

Jasper is sure a discovery like this could change the world, or at least get Callan to text him back. But as the saber-toothed tiger finds freedom, Jasper realizes he may have unleashed a monster that no one was ready for, and that anger can empower you--or destroy you.

The Moon Crawls on All Fours is a collection of poems approaching themes of family trauma and growing up through magical escapism. They chronicle the journey of a young trans queer person starting their life and missing the ways they once connected with their family.

There's a lot 12-year-old B doesn't know--like what their new name should be after coming out as nonbinary. Or what it would be like to finally feel at home after moving around to different foster families for years. But there's one thing B does know: they want to be a dog trainer when they grow up. And when they meet Gooseberry--a feisty stray dog who seems as wary of strangers as B does--B feels an instant connection. With Gooseberry, B could have everything they want: a family of their own, and a dog to train. And B's newest foster parents agree to let B adopt him.

But training a dog isn't as easy as B expected. Gooseberry is anxious and barely lets B pet him, let alone train him. Will Gooseberry ever feel at ease with B? And how can B teach Gooseberry to trust, when they know so little about trust themself?

Gooseberry is a heartwarming story by the acclaimed author of Dear Mothman about finding family, finding hope, and--most of all--finding and accepting yourself.