Blog Tour //This is our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us Edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby//

Welcome to my stop of the @TBRBeyondTours This is our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us Blog Tour. I’m here to spotlight This is our Rainbow on my blog and share a few of my thoughts with my fellow bookworms.

“Exceptional. This Is Our Rainbow is not just a collection of short stories, it’s a treasure trove of precious words bundled together in indelible ink that will have readers forever grateful this anthology is part of the human library of fiction.”
Sheaf & Ink

This is our Rainbow Sheaf & Ink Mini Book Review

I will try my best to explain the importance and brilliance of this book.

Every story in this anthology is a gift. Each one, a ball of light ready to burst free from its makings and radiate the warmth and vibrancy like a newborn star. These stories write a piece of humanity onto the page in such a thoughtful and meaningful way that children can relate to and enjoy.

It’s a gathering of moments, where a collective voice can be heard. The sound like music, the notes playing a fervent masterpiece unfolding in three hundred and thirty six pages like pedals from a budding flower opening for the first time towards the sun. Having all the letters in the beautiful acronym that is LGBTQIA+ represented in a way where readers will find themselves holding this book close, knowing they are seen and loved.

Read this book.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

Find my full review here >>

RATING: – Exceptionally Inked

This is our Rainbow Blog Tour

The first LGBTQIA+ anthology for middle-graders featuring stories for every letter of the acronym, including realistic, fantasy, and sci-fi stories by authors like Justina Ireland, Marieke Nijkamp, Alex Gino, and more!

A boyband fandom becomes a conduit to coming out. A former bully becomes a first-kiss prospect. One nonbinary kid searches for an inclusive athletic community after quitting gymnastics. Another nonbinary kid, who happens to be a pirate, makes a wish that comes true–but not how they thought it would. A tween girl navigates a crush on her friend’s mom. A young witch turns herself into a puppy to win over a new neighbor. A trans girl empowers her online bestie to come out.

From wind-breathing dragons to first crushes, This Is Our Rainbow features story after story of joyful, proud LGBTQIA+ representation. You will fall in love with this insightful, poignant anthology of queer fantasy, historical, and contemporary stories from authors including: Eric Bell, Lisa Jenn Bigelow, Ashley Herring Blake, Lisa Bunker, Alex Gino, Justina Ireland, Shing Yin Khor, Katherine Locke, Mariama J. Lockington, Nicole Melleby, Marieke Nijkamp, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro, Molly Knox Ostertag, Aisa Salazar, and AJ Sass.

Publication Details

Title This is our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us
Editors Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
Pages 336 Pages
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Genre & Keywords MG – Anthology
Part of a Series? No
Source & Format NetGalley, Digital Copy

Publication Date October 19, 2021 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Find it on Goodreads ● Amazon ● Barnes & Noble ● Book Depository ● IndieBound● Indigo

Editor Details

Katherine Locke lives and writes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with their feline overlords and their addiction to chai lattes. They are the author of The Girl with the Red Balloon, a 2018 Sydney Taylor Honor Book and 2018 Carolyn W. Field Honor Book, as well as The Spy with the Red Balloon. They are the co-editor and contributor to It’s A Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes and Other Jewish Stories, and a contributor to Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens and the forthcoming Out Now: Queer We Go Again. They are also the author of Bedtime for Superheroes and What are Your Words?. They not-so-secretly believe most stories are fairytales in disguise. They can be found online at KatherineLockeBooks.com and @bibliogato on Twitter and Instagram.

Katherine is represented by Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Find Katherine on Website ● Goodreads ● Instagram ● Twitter ● Facebook

Nicole Melleby, a born-and-bread Jersey native, is an award-winning children’s author. Her middle grade books have been Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and have earned the Skipping Stones Honor Award, as well as being a 2020 Kirkus Reviews best book of the year. Her debut novel, Hurricane Season, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She currently teaches college literature and creative writing, and spends most of her free time roller skating. She lives with her wife and their cat, whose need for attention oddly aligns with Nicole’s writing schedule.

Find Nicole on Website ● Goodreads ● Instagram ● Twitter