Genius Jolene

In this early chapter book, Jolene travels to Los Angeles with her long-haul trucker father who recently came out as gay. The pair come face to face with homophobia but find a way to forgive and behave with kindness.  Genius Jolene includes themes of critical thinking, travel, family, acceptance and confronting homophobia.  The author’s middle-grade novel A Boy Named Queen was a finalist for the Rocky Mountain Book Award, the Silver Birch Express Award, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award and the Diamond Willow Award.  This book features several black-and-white illustrations, which add to this engaging chapter book.