North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson
Middle Grade, Queer, Fiction, 376 pages
Published September 2, 2025, by SparkPress
For fans of Kacen Callender, Lin Thompson, and Kyle Lukoff, comes a middle grade novel set in 1973 about a child who feels more boy than girl and is frustrated that people act blind to that when—aside for her stupid hair and clothes—it should be obvious!
Shy fourth grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.
But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited and doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone.
Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? Based on the author’s experience growing up on Michigan’s rural Leelanau Peninsula in the ’70s, North of Tomboy includes artwork throughout.
My thoughts about North of Tomboy ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First lines—"On the day I was born, God made a mistake."
North of Tomboy gives the reader interesting and enlightening insight to the confusion experienced by most young people in their pre-teen and teen years. Trying to figure out their bodies, minds, and the hormones during that turbulent time isn't easy.
Jess sees herself differently from the way others around her perceive her. When she creates another persona in Mickey, she becomes very comfortable using his personality for a lot of the situations she finds herself in. Will she be able to move past this shield that she has created with Mickey to discover her own true self?
North of Tomboy is the perfect read for young people who might be struggling with their identity and may help them realize that they are not alone in their struggles.
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Praise for North of Tomboy
". . . a powerful, tender portrait of early gender exploration and self-acceptance, interwoven with charming illustrations."—Readers' Favorite, 5-star review
"North of Tomboy is an engaging novel that reveals the inner world of a creative child who explores and learns to express her nonconforming gender identity."—Foreword Reviews
"An adolescent's struggle with identity makes for a smart, fascinating read."—Kirkus Reviews
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About the author
Julie Swanson grew up on Michigan's "Little Finger", the Leelanau Peninsula, where many of her stories are set, but has lived in Wisconsin, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, California, and Virginia.
For the past twenty-five years she's lived in Charlottesville, VA. Julie writes middle grade and young adult novels and enjoys sports, the outdoors, "making things" (almost any type of art or craft, woodworking), reading, writing, eating, planting trees, and spending time with family. She suddenly has 6 grandchildren! Good thing she loves kids. ~ Goodreads
Connect with Julie
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